BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Hoover Police are investigating a home burglary from last February that now appears to be one of many homes across the country targeted by a group of serial burglars.
Back in 2021, Hoover police saw 100 home burglaries by October, and one of them was a Greystone Community home. The resident found a man using a crowbar to break into a window. Police believe the man is a part of a group breaking into homes across the country.
“They don’t have any direct ties to Alabama that we know of, only this crime,” Hoover’s Lt. Daniel Lowe said. “We believe that the group of people this individual is a part of does tend to target affluent neighborhoods.”
Hoover detectives said they found key evidence at the scene that helped them learn the man’s identity, which is how they learned this has happened in at least six other states.
“Our detectives began talking to detectives with several other jurisdictions, a total of about six states that we know of, that we have communicated with directly or been apart of, and they let us know that individuals had committed a similar type of crime in their areas and we were able to collaborate and share information and that’s how we identified this suspect.”
The burglar is believed to be Diego Bahamondes, but he is currently in custody in Tennessee for a similar burglary charge. But, Hoover detectives believe he wasn’t alone during the Greystone break in and they are investigating other suspects.
“Just because a case might go cold for a little while, we are always going to continue to pursue it,” Lowe said.
Lowe said home burglaries are down 3%, with 97 so far this year, but you should still protect your house.
“I would absolutely encourage you to have home security systems, camera systems, or alarm systems,” Lowe said. “They are really affordable now and can really aide in your home and keeping you safe and being a target.”
Hoover Police said they believe this was an isolated incident back in 2021, but they are looking into other home burglaries in the city to see if there are any other connections.
There is no word yet on when he will be extradited back to Alabama.
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