Police in a Twin Cities suburb have evidence that the burglary of homes owned by a current Minnesota Timberwolves player and former teammate Karl-Anthony Towns that were broken into last year are tied to a suspected burglary ring that has targeted pro athletes’ residences across the country, according to court records.
Karl-Anthony Towns among victims of roving burglary ring targeting pros, Medina police say
A man charged with burglarizing an NFL quarterback’s house in Ohio had a phone photo of a Towns’ luxury bracelet stolen in Medina, a court filing and police say.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
February 12, 2025 at 6:12PM
On Wednesday, Medina Police Chief Jason Nelson told the Minnesota Star Tribune that the former player victimized is Karl-Anthony Towns, the longtime Timberwolves player who was traded before the current season to the New York Knicks.
Towns lost jewelry and watches in the burglary when his multimillion-dollar house was targeted on Sept. 16 when it was unoccupied.
A man arrested and charged last month in connection with the burglary at the Ohio home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow allegedly had a phone that contained a photo of a bracelet stolen during the burglary of Towns’ home in Medina in September. That’s according to a search warrant affidavit filed Wednesday in Hennepin County.
The photo was shown to Towns, and he identified it as his, the affidavit said.
Nelson described the bracelet as “luxury high-end.” He said that’s the only item Towns has described as being stolen.
Police also said in the affidavit that they have evidence suggesting an SUV the suspects allegedly abandoned in Miami is the same rental vehicle they were riding in while targeting homes in Medina, a city in western Hennepin County city with a rural character.
Medina police filed the affidavit in Hennepin County District Court asking for permission to examine the content of the suspects' phones that has been extracted by investigators in Ohio. In all, four people have been charged in the Ohio burglary.
The affidavit says the names of three of those men were shared with Medina police in hopes of solving the three break-ins in the west metro suburb on successive days in September. They are Alexander Esteban Huaiquil-Chavez, 24; Bastian Alejandro Orellana Morales, 23; and Sergio Andres Ortega Cabello, 38.
Federal investigators said South American burglary crews, many in the country illegally or overstaying visas, have been targeting expensive homes and have been stealing jewelry and athletes’ sports mementos. Along with Burrow, victims include Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as Bobby Portis of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Besides Wolves guard Mike Conley and Towns, other high-profile sports figures in Minnesota have had their homes burglarized under similar circumstances: Minnesota Twins co-owner Jim Pohlad, former Timberwolves player Troy Hudson and former Minnesota Viking Linval Joseph.
Pohlad’s $5.5 million home near Lake Bde Maka Ska, encircled by a wall and tall foliage, was burglarized Oct. 9, 2023, according to Minneapolis police. Security company personnel reported seeing the break-in unfolding on live video, police records noted.
Hudson’s $1 million Minnetonka home was burglarized on Sept. 13, when suspects made off with designer jewelry, a $3,500 handbag and an unloaded handgun, according to a police report.
Joseph’s home was one of four police said were broken into in Sunfish Lake in similar fashion on Sept. 27, Oct. 26 and Nov. 15, and Joseph’s on Nov. 17, while he was playing for the Dallas Cowboys, police said.
Police in the Twin Cities have yet to announce any arrests in connection with their cases.
The burglaries of the unoccupied homes occurred when the athletes were playing their games or making publicized appearances. Conley’s residence in Medina was broken into while he was in Minneapolis on Sept. 15 to blow the Gjallarhorn before a Vikings home game.
The thieves typically have broken in through rear windows or glass doors, on the second floor when possible, and targeting jewelry and designer accessories while leaving other valuables behind.
Prosecutors said a large amount of suspected stolen property was found at a pawn shop in Manhattan and at storage units in New Jersey belonging to one of the pawn shop’s owners.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The University of Minnesota team, which won a national championship in January, will be Team USA in Orlando, Fla., competing against around 70 other countries.
