An Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star's home was targeted in a "high-dollar residential burglary," according to police.
Authorities in Scottsdale confirmed they were investigating a burglary at a home listed as belonging to baseball player, Ketel Marte. The burglary happened Tuesday night when Marte was playing in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Atlanta, Georgia.
The burglars stole numerous personal items and jewelry from Marte's home. No one was home during the burglary.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
It's been a tough summer for Marte. A few weeks before his home was burglarized, he briefly went viral after a spectator at an away game in Chicago was reportedly so vicious in their mockery of him that he broke down in tears.
Marte’s mother died in a car accident in 2017, and the heckler reportedly was yelling derogatory comments about his late mom at him, prompting the emotional response.
The man was removed from the game and indefinitely banned from future White Sox games.
But the All-Star outing offered something of a silver lining for Marte after he hit a two-run double in the first inning and the Diamondbacks ultimately won the game.
Marte's house is the latest in a string of burglaries targeting professional athletes this year. The homes of professional athletes are enticing targets for burglars as they typically spend weeks away and their homes are often packed with luxury goods.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a warning to sports teams earlier this year that criminal organizations were targeting players. The National Football League and the National Basketball Association have also issued their own warnings to their players.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley, Milwaukee Bucks player Bobby Portis, and Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are just a few of the professional athletes targeted in similar break-ins.
The FBI said back in February that it believes many of the burglaries are organized by South American Theft Groups.
The groups, which are either in the U.S. illegally or overstaying their visas, organize burglaries using burner phones and encrypted messaging, according to the FBI.
"When they decide to strike, they tend to break into homes through their back windows or glass doors—preferably on the second floor of a residence," the FBI said. "And once inside, they mainly look to steal jewelry and designer accessories, frequently leaving other expensive items behind."
The groups sell their ill-gotten goods to fences — people who buy stolen goods — who then move the goods on again, usually to foreign customers.
"Since overseas authorities extensively search people and luggage arriving from the United States, fencing allows them to send liquid profits back home instead of trying to smuggle stolen loot," the FBI said.
