Wife of Colombian footballer arrested for stealing jewellery in an 'Oceans 11' heist

Wife of Colombian footballer arrested for stealing jewellery in an 'Oceans 11' heist

Eric Munene 18:00 - 22.10.2024

Wife to Colombia footballer Fabian Castillo is being held for a jewelry robbery that led back to her.

Reminiscent of a Hollywood heist film, Tania Jazmin Ojeda Avila, the wife of Colombian footballer Fabián Castillo, has been arrested in connection with a sophisticated jewellery robbery in Costa Rica.

The heist, which took place on October 31, 2017, involved two jewellery stores being robbed simultaneously, capturing the attention of local media and law enforcement.

Ojeda Avila was detained at Bogotá Airport in Colombia after being placed on Interpol's red notice.

Authorities had been on the lookout for her following allegations of robbery and criminal conspiracy related to the high-stakes theft.

Police apprehended her as she arrived on a commercial flight from Mexico, where she was reportedly trying to evade capture.

Col Edwin Masleider Urrego Pedraza from Colombia's Directorate of Criminal Investigation detailed the elaborate planning behind the heist.

The gang, believed to include Ojeda Avila, had meticulously coordinated their actions, staying at different hotels and arriving on separate days to avoid detection.

On the day of the robbery, the perpetrators targeted jewellery stores in the affluent Escazú district, armed with weapons and blunt instruments.

According to Nation world, the robbers stormed the stores in broad daylight, threatening employees and customers alike, and making off with watches and other valuables estimated to be worth over a million dollars.

Ojeda Avila’s alleged role in the operation involved waiting in a getaway vehicle to facilitate the escape of the thieves with the stolen goods.

Authorities suspect that Ojeda Avila is linked to a Mexican criminal gang known as Los Mazos, which may have played a role in orchestrating the theft.

After her arrest, Fabián Castillo, who is currently playing for Deportivo Cali on loan from Mexican club Tijuana, took all his social media accounts private, and Ojeda Avila’s online presence has since disappeared.

As the investigation unfolds, this case highlights the shocking intersection of celebrity and crime, raising questions about the lengths individuals will go to for wealth and notoriety.

The football community is left reeling from the implications of the incident, which has sparked widespread media coverage and public interest.