Suspects Charged In Connection With Guilford Home Burglary: Police

GUILFORD, CT — Guilford police on Friday announced that two suspects have been charged in connection with a home burglary that occurred in February. Two other suspects remain in custody in other jurisdictions and are awaiting extradition to Connecticut.

An investigation found the suspects were part of a "sophisticated burglary crew" believed to be operating throughout multiple states and specifically targeting residents of Indian and Asian descent, Guilford police said.

Robinson Jean Paul Moncado-Patarroyo, 19, and Yeison Estivan Gonzalez-Rodriguez, 20, had been in New York City Police Department custody since their arrests in New York in late February, according to police.

Moncado-Patarroyo was taken into Guilford police custody from Riker's Island Correctional Facility on April 7 and held on a $500,000 bond, and Gonzalez-Rodriguez was taken into Guilford police custody on June 17. He was also held on a $500,000 bond.

On Feb. 27 at approximately 11:45 p.m., Guilford police responded to a report of a residential burglary in town. Police said the victims came home from a day trip and found the back window of their residence smashed in.

Additionally, it was discovered that money, jewelry and other valuable items from the home were taken.

A short time later, a BMW was stopped by NYPD officers in Queens, N.Y. Police said the vehicle was suspected of being involved in numerous residential burglaries throughout New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

During the stop, officers noticed burglary tools and loose jewelry inside the vehicle, police said, noting further investigation found the vehicle had recently traveled from Guilford.

Two suspects, identified as Moncado-Patarroyo and Gonzalez-Rodriguez, were taken into custody.

The jewelry recovered from the BMW was later identified by the Guilford victims as their property, police said.

Before the vehicle stop, the BMW was seen traveling in tandem with a Ford Fusion, which the NYPD stopped approximately two hours later, police said.

Additional jewelry stolen from the Guilford residence and burglary tools were located in the Ford, police said, and the operator and passenger were taken into custody and identified as Emerson Johan Rodriguez-Gomez, 25, and Daniel Alejandro Garcia-Arenas, 24.

On Feb. 28, Guilford police secured arrest warrants for all four suspects. The warrants contained first-degree burglary, first-degree larceny, third-degree criminal mischief, and associated conspiracy charges.

Rodriguez-Gomez and Garcia-Arenas were found to have outstanding extraditable warrants in other jurisdictions and will remain in custody there until those matters are resolved and extradition to Connecticut can be completed, police said.

Guilford police said the suspects were part of a burglary crew that specifically targeted homes belonging to individuals of Indian and Asian descent.

"These criminal organizations are known to use publicly available information, property records, social media activity, physical surveillance, electronic surveillance, and tracking devices to identify and monitor potential victims before committing burglaries," police said.

Residents are encouraged to remain vigilant, and police recommend the use of alarm systems, security cameras and exterior lighting to help deter criminal activity.

Suspicious activity should be reported to police immediately.

Guilford police thanked the NYPD and the New Haven State's Attorney's office for their help in the investigation.