BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — A routine traffic stop in Chattanooga on Friday, May 23, led to the arrest of three men connected to a series of residential burglaries spanning Middle Tennessee and California, authorities confirmed.
The Brentwood Police Department said the investigation began last week after detectives noticed similarities between a recent burglary in the Witherspoon subdivision and other break-ins in Brentwood and Nashville. A coordinated effort involving Brentwood police, Metro Nashville Police Department, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and other law enforcement agencies quickly identified several suspects.
During the traffic stop, a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper discovered three men in the vehicle providing false Peruvian identification. Upon searching the vehicle, officers found burglary tools, clothing consistent with those worn during local burglaries, stolen jewelry, and Rolex watches reported stolen from a home in Missouri.
The suspects were identified as Genaro Arturo Arenas Jara, Nicholas Maximiliano Martinez Hidalgo, and Valentino Amaro Bouffanais — all Chilean nationals. Officials also revealed that the men are wanted in connection with 2023 residential burglaries in California.
The suspects were taken into custody and are currently being held at the Hamilton County Jail, awaiting charges at the state and federal level.
Brentwood Police Chief Jim Colvin expressed appreciation for the collaborative law enforcement effort, emphasizing the department’s commitment to community safety. “Our residents should feel safe in their homes knowing members of this criminal organization have been identified and arrested,” Colvin said.
No further details about the ongoing investigation have been released.
