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Yankees' Aroldis Chapman Targeted by Miami Jewel Thieves as 'Wealthy Mark'
February 18, 2020
New York Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman was reportedly one of the "wealthy marks" a ring of Miami burglars targeted.
David Ovalle of the Miami Herald reported the news, noting police "busted" the ring Tuesday.
Eight of the 10 suspects have been arrested, and the group as a whole is facing charges such as racketeering, conspiracies and burglary. Xandi Garcia is considered the ringleader, and he was already in jail for a different case in which he allegedly broke into the hotel room of a celebrity jeweler Eric Mavashev and stole a safe that included between $1.3 million and $1.7 million worth of jewelry on Super Bowl Sunday.
Maybel Sanchez, who is an Instagram model and Garcia's girlfriend, as well as Mirta Lora, who is Garcia's mother, are also accused of being involved in the burglary ring.
The group is accused of stalking potential wealthy victims on Instagram and with GPS trackers to know opportune times to break into their homes. Chapman's home, which is in Davie, Florida, near Miami, was never robbed, but he was allegedly among the ring's targets.
Police say Garcia and his associates researched the southpaw's house, monitored his Instagram account and even recorded the home to monitor when he was out of town.
Chapman is a six-time All-Star who has pitched for the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs and Yankees throughout his career.