Two people arrested by Scottsdale Police in connection with new crime trend

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (KSAZ) - Scottsdale Police announced Friday that two people have been arrested, accused of several vehicle burglaries in a new crime trend that has been dubbed "jugging".

According to Scottsdale Police, "jugging" is a criminal incident trend coming out of Houston, Texas, where gang members wil stake out banks and ATMs, watch for people leaving with bank bags or envelopes, and follow them to other locations. The suspects, police said, will then burglarize the victim's vehicle, while the victim is away.

According to a statement released Friday by Sgt. Ben Hoster, Nathaniel Ray House Jr., 25, and Qu Nesha Lache Ward, 23, were arrested on Wednesday. The incidents they are arrested in connection to, according to police, took place in May.

On May 18, Scottsdale Police said patrol officers responded to a car burglary call in a supermarket parking lot at the 2700 block of N. Scottsdale Road. It was learned that the victim had made a cash withdrawal at a bank, just prior to arriving at the supermerket. House and Ward were later identified as suspects.

According to Scottsdale Police, House, a documented gang member from Houston, has been tied to seven separate incidents, with a total monetary loss of approximately $10,000. Ward is reportedly being charged with a count of burglary from a vehicle.