Two California high school students have been arrested in a plot to steal a cryptocurrency stash. According to reports, the California high schoolers were arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona, after they allegedly posed as deliverymen to get into an apartment where they had been told $66 million in digital assets was stashed.
According to court documents, the California duo claimed they had never seen each other before, and that unknown people on the Signal app extorted them into participating in the burglary plot.
The police claimed that they were able to foil the home invasion after they received emergency reports around 10:45 AM Saturday, January 31. The responding officers claimed they heard a woman screaming and claimed they saw a man struggling with a youth when they got on site.
The officers claimed the duo left the house when they realized the police had come in from the front door.
California high schoolers arrested in home invasion plot
The police said they were able to chase the suspects, who drove off in a blue Subaru after fleeing through the back door of the house. The pursuit ended when the boys were boxed in at a dead-end, the police statement said.
The police were able to identify the first culprit as a 17-year-old from San Luis Obispo, who attended the San Luis Obispo High School, while the second was a 16-year-old from Morro Bay, who attended Pacific Beach High School in the same area.
The California high schoolers claimed they were sent $1,000 to buy disguises and restraining devices. They were also given the address of the home in Scottsdale’s Sweetwater Ranch neighborhood, 600 miles from where they live.
The California students claimed that their contact on the Signal encrypted messaging app, whom they only identified as 8 and Red, instructed them to get into the house and force the residents to hand over their digital assets to them, the duo said.
The police said they found UPS-style clothing, zip ties, duct tape, and a 3D-printed gun left behind at the scene after the attackers fled.
The mother of one of the teens also reportedly contacted police in California after accessing phone messages concerning the plot, but the Scottsdale police said they didn’t receive the information until after the break-in was carried out. The boys were booked into a Maricopa County juvenile detention facility on several charges.
Police confirm charges as search continues for Nancy Guthrie
According to the police, the duo will be charged with crimes including aggravated assault, kidnapping, and second-degree burglary. They have since been released on $50,000 bail with ankle monitors fitted to monitor their movements.
The police didn’t report whether the homeowners suffered any injuries during the invasion. They claimed that their adult son had been in the home with them when the invasion occurred and was able to call 911 while hiding from the intruders.
The home invasion took place in Scottsdale, about two hours north of Tucson, where investigators are still trying to piece together what happened to Nancy Guthrie, the mother of host Savannah Guthrie.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen at home around 9:30 PM on January 31, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Investigators believe Nancy was abducted. Her blood was found on her porch during the investigation, authorities said on Thursday.
In addition to her disappearance, TMZ reported receiving a possible ransom note that millions of dollars in digital assets be sent to a specific Bitcoin address. The wallet address was confirmed to be functional.
According to authorities, the note also contained a deadline, with TMZ also reportedly receiving an element of or else. The note lists two deadlines, with TMZ noting that the latter is more serious. The FBI confirmed that the first deadline was 5 PM on Thursday, while the second deadline is on Monday.