A New York resident discovered a hidden camera in the bushes near his house: robbers were watching him

Last week, a New York homeowner found a terrifying object in his yard. It turned out to be a video camera hidden in the bushes, through which the criminals watched the owners, reports Daily Mail.

A home owner spotted a camouflaged camera hidden in the bushes in his yard in the upscale Scarsdale neighborhood.

Police said the camera was disguised as fake greenery and connected to a cellular hotspot to stream live video. Robbers are using these hidden cameras across the country to monitor opportunities for house break-ins or vehicle thefts.

Law enforcement officers assume that the group that established camera in Scarsdale, came from South America.

Local police are receiving assistance from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security in their investigation.

The discovery has left some residents nervous

"The bad guys are ahead of us," Scarsdale resident Steve Samtur said.

He said some of his neighbors are now checking their bushes for hidden cameras.

“Perhaps Scarsdale will be more vigilant now because of this,” Samtur suggested.

But officers noted there were no signs of forced entry. No other cameras were found in the rest of the Bradford Road area.

This case is just the latest in a string of incidents in which burglars install hidden cameras to monitor homes.

Gang of criminals

In May, a woman in California also discovered a video camera hidden in the bushes and pointed at her home.

A certain Lisa said that her neighbor pulled out a bag with a camera and battery pointed directly at her house.

On the subject: Criminals on mopeds snatch wallets and bags from passers-by

“She thought someone had put trash in her bushes, so she went to clean it up,” Lisa said. “Come closer to the bushes, the neighbor pulled out her bag and found a camera with a battery there.”

The terrifying discovery came just a day after she watched a news report about four men arrested with a similar camera. Then Glendale police stopped a car that was driving without headlights.

A search of the vehicle revealed a "video surveillance device" with a "battery charging system disguised in leaves," police said.

“This evidence led Glendale detectives to believe the suspects placed the camera in a flower bed. This method allowed them to create a complex mechanism. They monitored residences and knew when homeowners were leaving,” police said.

The suspects were identified as Brian Martinez Vargas, 28, Jose Antonio Velasquez, 28, Edison Arley Pinson Fandino, 27, and Luis Moreno, 29.

All four men are Colombian citizens. They are members of a large gang. The group engages in burglaries and uses extensive surveillance, GPS technology, video feeds and counter-surveillance to establish the behavioral patterns of its victims. Another camera was found just a month later in Alhambra, California. On June 20, two suspects were captured on surveillance camera walking through an empty house outside Boston.

Two weeks later, Braintree police said a neighbor found a camera hidden in the leaves of a bush across from the home where the robbery took place. It was impossible to notice her against the background of the environment.

Three suspects, all from New York, have since been arrested in connection with the incident.

Safety measures

Police officers across the country are now urging residents to remain vigilant and take precautions to prevent burglaries. For example, they recommend never hiding the key outside the house, and always locking the doors and windows when leaving.

If you spot a suspicious vehicle, write down its license plate number. In addition, the porch and the area around it should be well lit.

Trees and bushes should also be trimmed carefully to prevent them from becoming easy places for cameras to hide.

Police also talk about the importance of installing video surveillance.

And finally, a broken window or an open door should be a clear sign that you need to call the police immediately and not even go near the house.

“Remember: It’s important to regularly inspect the outside of your home for unfamiliar items or changes in the landscaping. They could potentially be hiding a surveillance camera,” Glendale police said.

“Watch out for suspicious people. Perhaps they are checking to see if someone is at home,” the law enforcement officers emphasized.