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Tag: Chilean

Ja Morant’s home burglarized by notorious Chilean migrants: report

The same group of Chileans that burglarized the homes of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Joe Burrow also reportedly committed the crimes at Ja Morant’s house.

The Memphis Grizzlies have not commented on the ordeal, but the Daily Memphian and ESPN reported that Morant was “Professional Athlete 6” in the complaint.

The homes of Bobby Portis and a Tampa Bay Buccaneers player were targets in the alleged ring.

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Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at FedExForum on January 2, 2024 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)

According to the complaint, the Grizzlies player’s home was burglarized sometime after 4 p.m. on Dec. 19, 2024. The Grizzlies beat the Golden State Warriors 144-93 that night in Memphis. The burglars stole “jewelry, watches and luxury bags valued” at about $1 million, according to the complaint.

The seven migrants accused of the burglaries, members of a South American Theft Group (SATG), with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. If convicted, each would face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

A federal criminal complaint unsealed on Tuesday reveals that, since around October 2024, the migrants have been targeting athletes from the NFL and NBA — breaking into their homes while the players were away competing in games.

Apr 26, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant catches a ball during warm ups prior game five of the 2023 NBA playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at FedExForum. (Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports)

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Mahomes and Kelce had their homes broken into in October, while Burrow’s was broken into in December.

“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 said shortly after the incident.

“We live a public life, and one of my least favorite parts of that is the lack of privacy. And that has been difficult for me to deal with my entire career. Still learning. But I understand it’s the life that we choose. Doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.”

Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on during a team practice on October 3, 2023 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. (Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

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The burglars often posed for photos with the loot.

Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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February 21, 2025
Kayaker gets swallowed by humpback whale off Chilean coast: Watch

A humpback whale swallowed a man on a kayak off the coast of Chile last week, before he was quickly able to get out of the leviathan’s mouth unharmed.

Video shows the death-defying and terrifying moment from last Saturday, when Adrián Simancas was kayaking with his father, Dell, in Bahía El Águila near the San Isidro Lighthouse in the Strait of Magellan, off Chilean Patagonia.

As Simancas was paddling in what appeared to be an inflatable kayak, a humpback whale rolled on the surface with its mouth open, swallowing the kayaker.

Moments later, the tail broke the surface and the whale dove to deeper depth. Simancas and his yellow kayak then resurfaced after being freed from the clutches of the whale’s jaws.

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Video captured the moment a kayaker off the coast of Chile was swallowed briefly by a humpback whale. (Credit: Dell Simancas)

The Associated Press reported that Dell captured the moment on video and encouraged his son to stay calm.

“Stay calm, stay calm,” the father was heard saying in Spanish after his son was released from the whale.

“I thought I was dead,” Adrián told the AP. “I thought it had eaten me, that it had swallowed me.”

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Video captured the moment a kayaker off the coast of Chile was swallowed briefly by a humpback whale. (Credit: Dell Simancas)

He described the few seconds of “terror” to the wire service, explaining that his real fear set in after resurfacing, fearing that the whale would hurt his father or that he would die in the cold waters.

“When I came up and started floating, I was scared that something might happen to my father too, that we wouldn’t reach the shore in time, or that I would get hypothermia,” Adrián said.

Adrián ultimately reached his father’s kayak, and both returned to shore without injuries.

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Video captured the moment a kayaker off the coast of Chile was swallowed briefly by a humpback whale. (Credit: Dell Simancas)

The Strait of Magellan, which is located about 1,600 miles south of Santiago, Chile, is a major tourist attraction in Chilean Patagonia, and is known for adventurous activities.

The frigid waters in the area pose a challenge for those who attempt to cross the strait.

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While whale attacks on humans are extremely rare in Chilean waters, whale deaths from collisions with cargo ships have increased in recent years, and strandings have become a recurring issue in the last decade.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter @GregWehner.

February 13, 2025
Bengals react after Chilean men indicted, take selfie with stolen items in robbery of Joe Burrow’s home

The three Chilean men facing charges on suspicion of breaking into Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow’s home posed for photos with some of the items that were eventually stolen from the property, a recently filed federal criminal complaint showed.

A jeweled necklace reading “JB9” with a Nike swoosh and a diamond “9” necklace were the luxury possessions that could be seen in the selfie, per the complaint. Burrow, a two-time Pro Bowler, wore the No. 9 jersey when he played at LSU and still wears the number for the Bengals.

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Jordan Francisco Quiroga Sanchez, 22, Bastian Alejandro Orellana Morales, 23, and Sergio Andres Ortega Cabello, 38, all of Chile, are charged in the burglary of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s home in December.

A separate photo showed multiple pieces of stolen jewelry laid out on a table, a complaint from the FBI stated.

Jordan Francisco Quiroga Sanchez, 22, Bastian Alejandro Orellana Morales, 23, and Sergio Andres Ortega Cabello, 38, all of Chile, are charged in the burglary of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s home in December.

Jordan Francisco Quiroga Sanchez, 22, Bastian Alejandro Orellana Morales, 23, and Sergio Andres Ortega Cabello, 38, all of Chile, were nabbed by Ohio State Patrol after authorities tracked them in multiple states following the burglary, according to court documents.

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The Bengals released a statement on Wednesday thanking authorities for their efforts.

“The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department and their partner agencies at the local, state and federal level did a wonderful job investigating the crime and bringing bad actors to justice. The Cincinnati Bengals would like to thank them for their efforts and extend our sincere appreciation for their good work. We recognize there was a tremendous amount of complex investigative work that led to these indictments, and the Sheriff’s Department was exemplary in this work,” the Bengals said.

“The Bengals have worked with the Sheriff’s Department for decades on many matters and we know them to be a real source of strength and pride for the community. The Bengals appreciate their good work and will continue to fully support their efforts as the criminal process moves forward.”

The men, who police say were in the country illegally, had tools for break-ins at the time of their arrest, along with a Bengals hat and Louisiana State University shirt believed to be stolen from Burrow’s home.

The elements of the robbery were consistent with other burglaries recently carried out in varying parts of the U.S. by South American theft groups, the complaint stated. The document added that the groups have typically been comprised of South Americans who enter the country illegally or remain in the U.S. after their visa expires. The groups have targeted jewelry and designer accessories, per the complaint.

Burrow was on the football field for a game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, when the home was burglarized.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow celebrates after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos in Cincinnati, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Olivia Ponton, a model and social media influencer who was identified as Burrow’s employee in an incident report, was at the home at the time of the incident. No injuries were reported during the break-in.

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Burrow broke his silence a few days after the break-in, saying it left him feeling “violated.”

“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 told reporters in December.

Fox News’ Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
Police body cam video shows Chilean migrants arrested in connection with Bengals’ Joe Burrow home burglary

Ohio State Highway Patrol have released dash cam footage showing a traffic stop and the eventual arrest of four men. The men are suspects in the December robbery of an Ohio home owned by Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow.

The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback was competing against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas when the home invasion took place. Olivia Ponton, a model and social media influencer who was identified as Burrow’s employee in the incident report, was at the home at the time of the incident. But, no one was injured during the break-in.

However, Burrow’s house was rifled through, per a report from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.

The four suspects, who were described as Chilean nationals, were arrested following “an ongoing investigation involving burglaries of multimillion-dollar homes in multiple states,” according to WLWT-TV, citing court documents.

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Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on before kickoff against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on October 8, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Sergio Cabello, Bastian Morales, Jordan Sanchez and Alexander Chavez were arrested in Clark County after being pulled over by Ohio State Highway Patrol on Jan. 10, documents showed.

“All four males were identified as being illegally in the country or overstaying their permissions,” the arrest report read, as all the men provided fake IDs.

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Court documents added that authorities found “an old LSU shirt and Bengals hat, believed to be stolen from the December 9, 2024 burglary in Hamilton County, Ohio.” Burrow’s played college football at LSU and currently resides in Hamilton County.

The search of the vehicle the suspects were in also discovered “two Husky automatic center punch tools wrapped in a cloth towel.” The tool has been used by the South American Theft Group, according to authorities.

The four suspects face charges of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, participation in a criminal gang, possessing criminal tools and obstructing official business.

Ponton called her mother Diane Ponton, and then 911 was contacted as the break-in was happening, deputies reported.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) celebrates after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos in Cincinnati, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

“Someone is trying to break into the house right now,” Diane Ponton was heard saying on the recorded 911 call. “My daughter is there. This is Joe Burrow’s house. She is staying there. He’s at the football game. She’s wondering what she should do, if she should be hiding or if she should go outside.”

Burrow broke his silence a few days after the incident occurred, saying the situation left him feeling “violated.”

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow rolls out to pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

“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 said during a scheduled media availablilty in December.

“We live a public life, and one of my least favorite parts of that is the lack of privacy. And that has been difficult for me to deal with my entire career. Still learning. But I understand it’s the life that we choose. Doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.”

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The NFL released a memo earlier this year urging players to be on high alert after homes were hit, which included Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

In November, the NBA sent a memo to team officials after Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley were victims of home invasions.

Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 23, 2025