37-year-old Luis Jimenez-Mojica and 26-year-old Daniel Ortega were arrested on August 6 in relation to a South American Theft Group (SATG) who were targeting elderly victims while they were shopping. The suspects would steal the victims' wallets and use the cards to make thousands of dollars in fraudulent purchases.

In May of 2025, an investigation started into the group when a victim’s wallet was taken while they were shopping at a grocery store in Scottsdale. The cards that were stolen from the wallet were quickly used to purchase over $4,000 in electronics.

The Scottsdale Police Street Crimes Unit assisted with the investigation and learned several valley agencies and other state agencies were investigating the same suspects.

The Scottsdale Police Street Crimes Unit coordinated multiple investigative operations with all involved agencies and followed up with victims across the valley. The South American Theft Group was responsible for at least five thefts and over $10,000 in fraudulent purchases in Scottsdale cases alone.

Goodyear Police have linked three recent theft cases involving elderly victims to the same suspects. The incidents occurred on May 8 and June 7, using the same tactics.

On August 6 at 10:14 p.m., Scottsdale Police arrested 37-year-old Luis Jimenez-Mojica and 26-year-old Daniel Ortega, both of whom are from Columbia. Both suspects were booked into the Maricopa County Jail for the following charges: Theft-purse snatch, Theft-organized retail, Fraudulent use of credit card, Aggravated ID theft, Taking identity of another, and Illegal control of an enterprise. Goodyear and Scottsdale detectives coordinated interviews, leading to charges in their respective cases.

“We remain relentless in our pursuit of those who come to our city to commit crimes. Our officers and detectives are committed to identifying, locating, and arresting those involved, and we continue to work closely with our valley law enforcement partners and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to ensure they are held fully accountable. The bottom line is, if you come to Scottsdale to commit crimes, we will find you and arrest you,” said Scottsdale Police Chief LeDuc.

Scottsdale Police are closely working with other valley agencies to identify additional crimes that may have been committed by this group.