Homeless Man Charged In Connection To 7 Burglaries: Police

EAST PATCHOGUE, NY — A homeless man was arrested on Tuesday for burglarizing seven businesses in Patchogue, North Bellport and East Patchogue this month, according to Suffolk County Police. Officers Matthew Spilotros and Robert Pavinski were on patrol on Montauk Highway at 3 a.m. when they saw a man riding a bicycle near the corner of Gazzola Drive in East Patchogue who matched the description of a burglary suspect, police said.

They stopped 29-year-old Edwin Puerto-Barahona and found he was riding a stolen bicycle and he was brought into the Fifth Precinct for questioning, police said..

According to police, an investigation revealed that Puerto-Barahona burglarized the following locations:

• Next Millennium Auto Body on 1520 Montauk Highway in North Bellport, on April 12 at approximately 5 p.m.
• Orellanao Express on 457 Main Street in East Patchogue, on April 16 at 12:20 p.m.
• El Limeno 2 on 1160 Montauk Highway in East Patchogue, on April 16 at 2:30 p.m.
• Express Deli on 1387 Montauk Highway in North Bellport, on April 18 at 2:45 a.m.
• 123 Food Market on 123 Medford Ave. in Patchogue, on April 19 at 3 a.m.
• Francisco Auto Repair on 1366 Montauk Highway in East Patchogue, on April 20 at 12:18 a.m.
• USA Gas Station on 1365 West Main Street in Patchogue, on April 21 at 2:30 a.m.

Puerto-Barahona was charged with seven counts of third degree burglary, fifth degree possession of stolen property and seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

He will be held overnight at the Fifth Precinct and is scheduled for arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip on Wednesday.