Eugene police warn of burglary ring targeting Asian homeowners

Eugene police are warning Lane County homeowners about a burglary ring that watches homes first, disables wireless cameras and then strikes when residents are away at work. Investigators say the pattern has repeatedly targeted Asian homeowners and Asian business owners, with cases surfacing not just in Eugene but across Oregon over the last year.

Police say the warning signs start long before the break-in. Suspects have been observed surveilling potential victims, then returning once they know a home is empty. For residents who rely on Wi-Fi cameras, that makes a working camera system a first line of defense, and police are urging people to check whether exterior cameras are online, protected by strong passwords and still sending alerts to a phone that leaves the house with the owner. If a camera suddenly goes dark, that is the kind of disruption investigators say this group has used before a burglary.

The Eugene Police Department said it made six arrests in June 2024 tied to similar cases. Police later arrested seven additional suspects in October 2025 after a burglary in Eugene’s Bethel area, where Chief Chris Skinner said the break-in involved the home of an Asian business owner. During that operation, officers served a search warrant at an Airbnb on the 2400 block of Skyline Boulevard, and a shelter-in-place alert was issued after suspects fled. Seven people faced burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary charges.

Investigators said the broader case stretched across nearly two dozen similar burglaries over roughly two years. Eugene and Springfield police later said the pattern had affected nearly two dozen Asian American business owners, reflecting a coordinated effort that local agencies believe went well beyond one neighborhood or one city. The cases also connected Oregon homes to a larger, well-resourced group operating across state lines, including in Washington.

That wider reach has now moved into federal court in Eugene. In May 2026, one of the leaders of a burglary ring targeting Asian business owners in Oregon and Washington pleaded guilty, underscoring how a local patrol concern became a multi-agency, multi-state investigation. For Eugene-area residents, the immediate lesson is simple: watch for homes being surveyed, treat camera outages as suspicious, and pay close attention to the Bethel area and other neighborhoods where empty daytime homes can become targets.