NJ Burglar Targeted Asian Families’ Homes, Believing ‘They Had More Cash,’ He Says

SUSSEX COUNTY, NJ — A Newark man was sentenced recently after he admitted to burglarizing two Sussex County homes.

Ivan Ramirez-Villalobos, 27, of Newark, was sentenced to six years in prison on Aug. 7 after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree residential burglary.

The charges stem from a late 2024 investigation regarding two Sparta homes that were broken into and burglarized.

Ramirez-Villalobos, along with “several other persons,” traveled from Newark to Sparta to break into people’s homes and steal jewelry, cash, and other valuables, prosecutors said.

The thieves used an extension ladder to climb up to the homes’ second-floor windows, which they broke open with pry tools.

Court documents showed that the crew targeted families of Asian heritage, believing that those homes would “be more likely to contain significant amounts of cash and jewelry.”

During the Nov. 30, 2024 burglary, Ramirez-Villalobos’s crew stole several personal items, gold jewelry, an engagement ring, and a 125-pound Sentry Safe containing several items. The total losses amounted to roughly $40,000.

The second heist, less than a month later, resulted in several personal items, jewelry, and cash being stolen for a total loss of about $137,017.

In addition to the six-year prison sentence, Ramirez-Villalobos was ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution and $280 in mandatory fees and penalties.

The other members of Ramirez-Villalobos’s crew were not mentioned by prosecutors, and it’s not clear if they have also been apprehended.