Two California teens face felony charges after allegedly invading an Arizona home to steal cryptocurrency believed to be worth $66 million.
Two California high school students have been charged with multiple felonies after authorities say they travelled more than 600 miles to Scottsdale, Arizona, to carry out a violent home invasion targeting cryptocurrency believed to be worth $66 million.
Court records show the 16- and 17-year-old suspects drove from San Luis Obispo County to a residence in the Sweetwater Ranch neighbourhood on the morning of January 31. They were reportedly wearing delivery-style uniforms resembling those used by shipping carriers when they forced entry into the home.
Investigators say the teens restrained two adults with duct tape and demanded access to digital assets stored by the victims. When one occupant denied holding cryptocurrency, the situation escalated into physical assault.
An adult son in another part of the house called emergency services, and officers arriving at the scene discovered a struggle in progress. The suspects fled the residence in a blue Subaru but were stopped shortly afterwards.
Police recovered zip ties, duct tape, stolen license plates and a 3D-printed firearm at the scene. The weapon was not loaded and police say it is unclear if it was functional.
Authorities said the teens initially were held in juvenile detention, but prosecutors intend to try them as adults. Each faces eight felony counts, including kidnapping, aggravated assault and burglary, with the older suspect also charged with unlawful flight from law enforcement. Both were released on $50,000 bail and fitted with electronic monitoring devices.
Investigators told police that the younger suspect claimed the pair had recently met and were allegedly recruited through the encrypted messaging platform Signal. Unknown contacts using aliases sent money to purchase disguises and equipment and provided the target address, according to authorities.
The case reflects a broader rise in so-called “wrench attacks” — violent physical assaults aimed at forcing cryptocurrency holders to surrender access to their digital assets — a trend that has gained attention among security researchers and law enforcement.
Reports are sourced from official documents, law-enforcement updates, and credible investigations.
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