A gang suspected of conducting 40 thefts across Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx has been apprehended by the authorities, according to an announcement by the NYPD on Saturday. The series of detentions began on June 3 when Alexandar Medine, aged 52, and Steven Perez, aged 35, were arrested on the grounds of burglary and possession of burglar’s equipment. The NYPD decided to refrain from publicly announcing these arrests until they were able to detain the final suspect, Jose Montenegro, aged 39, on criminal possession of stolen property charges, which happened this past Friday.
The burglary wave, as detailed by law enforcement, involved the criminals illicitly obtaining cash, goods, and coin-operated machines from numerous businesses since March. Ivelisse Rodriguez, aged 32, and Isaaahiah Rodriguez, aged 22, were also among those taken into custody on Wednesday for their alleged involvement in the crew’s criminal activities, specifically for possessing stolen assets.
Jesse Pinales, a 30-year-old associate of the criminal outfit, was also seized by the authorities on the same day under charges of grand larceny, according to reports from the DCPI. The burglary group stands accused of forcefully entering a total of three facilities in Brooklyn, nine in The Bronx, and the highest count of 29 in Queens.
The preferred targets of this organized theft ring were coin and card machines in laundromats. Specifically, the gang chose to strike during late-night hours or early mornings when these establishments were least attended. Laundromats unsuspectingly became the primary victims of the group’s incursions, as confirmed by police sources.
This team of criminals utilized a number of getaway vehicles, adorned with stolen license plates, to evade law enforcement after their illicit operations, as alleged by law enforcement. Their initiative of using multiple getaway vehicles is believed to have played a significant part in fleeing the crime scenes unnoticed for a lengthy period.
In one of the most recent instances of their criminal activity, dating back to June 24, three members of the group purportedly broke into a laundromat located on Grand Ave., near Van Kleeck St. in Queens. The break-in reportedly took place around 3:15 a.m., based on the information released by the press.
After breaking into the laundromat, the burglars absconded with a haul of $1,800 as well as a payment machine. The exact amount of cash housed within the seized machine remains unknown, according to statements by the police.
It has been confirmed by the authorities that no civilians were physically harmed during any of the conducted burglaries. This information was provided in the NYPD press release, ensuring public knowledge of the crew’s apprehension and the progress of the ongoing investigation.