What to Know
- Three men from Elizabeth, New Jersey are facing charges in connection to a string of residential burglaries throughout the state targeting luxury homes usually on dead-end streets, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office announced.
- Steven Rugeles, 30, Santiago Camargo-Rojas, 24, and Nicholas Buitrago-Grillo, 23, were arrested on various charges of conspiracy to commit burglary, money laundering, receiving stolen property, possession of false government documents and possession of burglar tools, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced Wednesday.
- Prosecutors said that all the burglaries appeared to share the same modus operandi: the supposed burglars targeted residential homes in affluent areas, often times on or near dead end streets or cul-de-sacs. The burglaries allegedly occurred during evening hours when the homes were not well lit, and the homeowners were not present.
Three men from Elizabeth, New Jersey are facing charges in connection to a string of residential burglaries throughout the state targeting luxury homes usually on dead-end streets, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office announced.
Steven Rugeles, 30, Santiago Camargo-Rojas, 24, and Nicholas Buitrago-Grillo, 23, were arrested on various charges of conspiracy to commit burglary, money laundering, receiving stolen property, possession of false government documents and possession of burglar tools, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced Wednesday.
According to prosecutors, it was between March through July of this year, that the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigation Squad investigated a series of residential burglaries throughout New Jersey, specifically in Bergen County. Prosecutors went on to say that all the burglaries appeared to share the same modus operandi: the supposed burglars targeted residential homes in affluent areas, often times on or near dead end streets or cul-de-sacs. The burglaries allegedly occurred during evening hours when the homes were not well lit, and the homeowners were not present.
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Allegedly, the burglars would at times pose as delivery workers to make sure that the homes were not occupied. Once inside, they would remove high-end designer items, jewelry, and cash.
On Tuesday, during this investigation, detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office executed search warrants at the homes of the accused and, allegedly, the search revealed tools commonly used by burglars to gain access to the homes, jewelry, luxury watches, and money. According to prosecutors the items are all believed to be from burglaries that took place in Bergen County and other jurisdictions in the tri-state area.
During the search warrant, fake government documents, including driver's licenses and passports were allegedly found as well.
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Both Camargo-Rojas and Buitrago-Grillo were charged with receiving stolen property, money laundering, possession of fraudulent government documents, and a disorderly person offense of possession of burglar tools.
Meanwhile, Rugeles was charged with receiving stolen property, conspiracy to commit burglary, and possession of fraudulent government documents.
Attorney information for the accused was not immediately known.
