Robbers steal US$140,000 from Argentine tourist

Robbers broke into an Argentine tourist's house in Punta del Este on Monday and stole at least US$140,000 while she was out for a walk, Uruguayan officials reported.

The robbery took place on Monday evening, when the owner of the luxurious house, located in the exclusive neighbourhood of San Rafael, went out for her daily walk.

According to the Uruguayan Police, the perpetrators broke into the house through a window. Once inside, the robbers took close to US$40,000 in cash and most of the home owner’s jewellery, valued at more than US$100,000.

Two maids were inside the house at the time of the robbery, but they were said to be in another room, therefore the incident went completely unnoticed until the owner returned.

Even though this is by far the largest robbery registered in the exclusive coastal resort, it is not the first targeting Argentine tourists.

A week before Christmas, an Argentine tourist staying in a house in La Brava was robbed by men who broke into her house, tied her up and got away with a few thousand dollars.

A few days before that, in José Ignacio, a family from Buenos Aires had a few hundred dollars stolen in cash, and several home appliances while they were resting at the beach.