The list of footballers who have had their homes robbed is, unfortunately, becoming longer and longer. The last to join was Sergio Ramos, but he is not the only one. With violence or without it, they also know what it is to suffer the wrath of the thieves Aubameyang, Piqué, Benzema, Lewandowski, Morata, Jordi Alba or Ansu Fati, among many others and always in Spanish territory. If we expanded the borders to other countries, the list would be practically endless.
Thieves who attack homes owned by footballers almost always follow a similar ‘modus operandi’. They try to avoid the presence of people in the home in order to reduce the chances of having to use violence. This is why the vast majority of thefts occur during football games and why those responsible never act alone.
The TV show And now Sonsoles has analyzed this case using images from the security cameras at Thomas Partey’s home. The former Atlético de Madrid footballercurrently in the Arsenal ranks, was attacked by an Albanian gang, known as the ‘grasshopper gang’, in November 2019.
According to reports from the program, since they are usually large houses, First, a person enters the house and, once inside, gives way to another person who remains hidden so as not to be seen by the cameras.. In this specific case, access to the property occurred in a stolen car. Once out of the vehicle, they jumped over fences and a perimeter wall before entering the house through one of the garden doors. In outdoor spaces, mobility almost always occurs by crawling.
With two of the criminals inside the home and with the valuables already located, A third person entered with a crowbar to unlock the safe. When they have obtained all the loot, they flee – safe in arms– making sure to be covered enough so that your identity can be recognized at a glance.
Zidane and Isco were also victims of this same gang of thieves, as was the comedian José Luis Moreno, who was beaten in a way that nearly ended his life.. Four of the members were arrested and later sentenced to sentences ranging from six years and nine months in prison to an eight-month ban on entering Spain.
Ways to avoid theft
Preventing these events from happening is really complicated, but there are methods that can be used to substantially reduce the dangers. The first of them is be very careful with what is published on social networksas it can give thieves clues about the location of the homeowners.
Since they are such large houses and have valuable objects inside, footballers tend to allocate part of their money to protect the homes with dogs, panic rooms or private security forces. Still, none of these remedies are foolproof. Alarm systems are also commonbut its correct use is essential for their success.
Obviously, you tend to activate the alarm system when you are away from home, but specialists warn of the importance of also turning them on when activity in the house ends or you go to sleep. “Specialized gangs also take advantage of these moments to enter homes.”says Cruz Morcillo. “The biggest danger is meeting thieves in front,” he adds.
Another important aspect is that the house does not appear to be empty. To do this, specialists recommend use home automation so that the lights or televisions turn on from time to time, or talk to neighbors to occasionally collect advertising or mailbox correspondence.
The Ramos case
The recent robbery at Sergio Ramos’s house only reinforces the theories previously stated. Although in this case there were people inside the house – there were the four children and the caregivers – in no case was violence used and he took advantage of the fact that the footballer was facing Lens with his team.
The lines of investigation also indicate that the thieves could have been the same ones who entered the house of the singer María del Monte about a month ago. The camero’s response to the looting, which is suspected to have happened after a tip-off, has been hire a new security system to make it difficult for such unpleasant events to occur again.
