This is how the "escruches" work: they investigate the victims and rob their house on vacation

Escruche is a type of criminal modality in which thieves enter empty houses in search of jewelry and money. Crime spikes on summer days as more properties are found with no occupants in sight. It was the case of Sergio Lapegüe , Marcos Rojos and Mariano Obarrio.

This is stated by three prosecutors from the suburbs who emphasize that during the summer recess the entrances decrease, which have a very high degree of violence and imply higher penalties. According to Clarín, escruches have been on the rise in recent years.

Also read: Video: this was the robbery at Sergio Lapegüe's house

Unlike the second, escruches allow criminals to minimize risks: having a confrontation with the owners or the police. Although the goal is to avoid a violent scene and have time to look for valuable objects, they are prepared to face the situation, in case they are discovered.

To carry out the escruches, the thieves carry out prior intelligence on the chosen property. First they must make sure that there is no one in the home, then study what is the best time to enter and access to it.

Así funcionan los “escruches”: investigan a las víctimas y les desvalijan la casa en vacaciones

The logistics are also less expensive: they only need a car, dark clothes, tools and gloves .

In his book, "The Thief of the Century", Mario Vittete reveals several secrets of the modality to which he dedicated himself alone as "spider-man", to a greater extent, and explains why it is convenient in relation to the violent robberies. Now retired, he runs his own jewelry store in Uruguay.

What is the loot that escruchantes are looking for: money and jewels

Before, it was common for them to enter a house and completely ransack it. Nowadays, they prefer to search for cash and jewelry. While a part of the band is dedicated to this search, at least one stays on the bell to warn by cell phone if there are movements that alarm him.

The change in the type of loot is linked to the future of the Argentine economy that requires the mandate to " keep savings under the mattress."

I also read: Sextortion and millionaire robberies: who are "La Pichi" and "La Pochola", the sisters imprisoned in the south

“With the devaluation of the peso, the fixed term is not a business. A lot of cash went back into the houses. They have robbed businessmen or merchants who had large unrecorded sums. Or they look for nursing homes that charge pensions in euros, ”concur prosecutors consulted.

What a pity a listener receives when caught

The lawyer Mariano Lizardo explained to the newspaper that a qualified robbery in the entry mode has a minimum sentence of 6 years and 8 months, without aggravating factors such as a "village and gang" or "possession of a weapon of war".

“The defendants are being offered an abbreviated trial for a 7-year sentence. It is either that or the risk of going to trial and receiving 12 or 15 years for an entrance”, Lizardo clarifies. Instead, the minimum of an escruche is 3 years. Until then, releaseable. But with an aggravating circumstance, it can be left in 4 or 5 years”, he details.

In case of not having a record, the application of the penalty is usually suspended, says the lawyer. “And in many cases, after 8 months in jail they can be released ”, he adds.

The bands of escruchantes: mixed of "good children" and "jet kids"

One of the prosecutors from the northern area consulted by Clarín speaks of another merger: “good children” and “kiddies jets”. that would have been born in discos and electronic music parties. The former provide intelligence and experience to open doors, the latter, temperament, a useful feature in case they are discovered.