Burglaries targeting Asian Americans in Oregon persist despite arrests, prosecutions

Eugene police and community advocates are raising new alarms about organized burglaries targeting Asian American households in Oregon, with federal prosecutions of a ring indicted last fall still ongoing.

The Eugene Police Department issued a warning June 8 about organized burglary activity in two other Oregon cities. The department said the incidents fit a pattern consistent with previous crimes targeting Asian homeowners; burglars appeared to surveil victims, disable surveillance equipment and break in while residents are at work, taking jewelry, cash, car keys and other valuables.

The Asian American Council of Oregon followed with a community safety alert on June 17, urging residents to watch for suspicious vehicles circling neighborhoods, people photographing homes and individuals knocking on doors to check whether a residence is occupied.

The renewed concern comes weeks after prosecutors reported making significant progress against the “Skyline 7,” a ring of Colombian nationals arrested last fall for targeting Asian American households and business owners across Oregon and Washington state. Police said dozens of families were singled out because of their race.

As we previously reported, at least four of the seven defendants have pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges. Using commercial-grade signal jammers to disable security cameras and seven-way group calls to coordinate, the crew burglarized homes while operating out of short-term rentals with lookouts posted nearby. Members also posed as delivery drivers or construction workers.

Research from The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) shows that nearly 500 AAPI households were burglarized nationwide between 2018 and 2024. The pattern has taken a toll locally as well. Jenny Jonak, president of the Asian American Council of Oregon, said the repeated targeting has left families frustrated and unsafe. “Despite the arrests, despite prosecutions, despite the public meetings and the repeated warnings, these burglaries are still continuing and there doesn’t seem to be an end to that pattern of targeting Asian-American households,” she told Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Under Oregon law, however, theft offenses fall outside the scope of bias crime statutes, a gap that limits prosecution even when victims are selected because of their race. Advocates have warned that many burglaries go unreported, meaning the true scale of the problem may be larger than official figures reflect.

As for the Skyline 7, one defendant is scheduled for federal sentencing on June 30, while two others are scheduled for July 14.