MW 4 men arrested in Ohio for burglaries, possibly including the $7.5M home of Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow

By Kelsi Karruli

Burrow's lavish Cincinnati mansion was broken into on Dec. 9

Four men have been arrested in Ohio in connection with a series of burglaries at high-value properties in the state-with reports indicating that the group may have been responsible for the break-in at a mansion belonging to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

According to local news station WLWT, the four men were busted following a traffic stop during which authorities discovered items they believe were taken from inside Burrow's $7.5 million mansion-which was broken into back in December.

Bastian Morales, 23, Jordan Sanchez, 22, Sergio Cabello, 38, and Alexander Chavez, 24, all stand accused of breaking into a number of multimillion-dollar homes.

According to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, each of the men are facing a number of charges, including participating in a criminal gang and owning criminal tools.

While Burrow's name is not mentioned in court documents pertaining to the arrests, it's been revealed that authorities found an "old shirt" from the NFL star's alma mater, LSU, in the suspects' SUV, as well as a Bengals hat-leading some to speculate that the group has ties to the break-in at the sports star's home.

One of the suspects was also found to be in possession of a cell phone that contained data captured near a Hamilton County cell phone tower on Dec. 9, the same day Burrow's lavish Cincinnati pad was broken into.

According to the local channel, Burrow's home was the only property in the Hamilton County area to be targeted by thieves on Dec. 9, making the case against the alleged robbers stronger.

Documents noted that the multiple arrests are part of the "ongoing investigation involving burglaries of multi-million dollar homes in multiple states."

That ongoing investigation is understood to relate to a series of burglaries that have been targeted toward high-profile athletes like Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, both of whom have reported break-ins in recent months.

Not long after Kelce and Mahomes' Kansas City properties were burglarized, the NFL issued a warning to players that a South American crime gang might be targeting the league's biggest stars.

The FBI also confirmed that it was investigating both incidents, along with several other similar crimes-which is thought to have led authorities to make their recent arrests.

The men were arrested when a special agent in Ohio spotted "four male Chileans" carrying luggage while leaving a La Quinta Hotel in Fairborn, Ohio, on Jan. 10.

When pulled over, the men offered up false information and told the detectives at Clark County Sheriff's Office that they took a trip to Ohio to see snow while on vacation, per the report.

One of them, who was holding a Louis Vuitton bag, had previously been identified by an agent as a possible suspect in the football star's home burglary.

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Detectives revealed that they discovered tools wrapped in towels that are often used by South American theft groups to break glass and enter homes, per the report.

The document notes: "After the four male Chileans' true identifications were learned all four males were identified as being illegally in the country or overstayed their permissions."

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Robbers broke into the NFL icon's home while Burrow showed off his sensational skills in a 27-20 win over the Cowboys.

According to WLWT, one of the bedrooms had been completely "ransacked" and a window was smashed.

Following the burglary, it was revealed that Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Olivia Ponton was in the house at the time and dialed 911.

She told police: "Someone broke into my house. It's like completely messed up. ... Can we please send more people?"

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The sports star broke his silence about his home invasion shortly later, noting: "So obviously everybody has heard what has happened.

"I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one. And way more is already out there than I would want out there and that I care to share, so that's all I got to say about that."

Burrow purchased the 7,300-square-foot, four-bedroom home in Cincinnati for $7.5 million in Jan. 2024.

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According to the listing, the home on this parcel features 12 rooms in all, is made from stucco, and was built in 2016.

Burrow's home in surrounded by sweeping views of the Ohio River, stands of trees, and a white, wooden fence.

This story originally ran on Realtor.com.

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January 29, 2025 04:58 ET (09:58 GMT)

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