From late December 2009 through January 2010 New Castle County experienced a significant spike in residential burglaries.
Through their investigation, detectives were able to identify a number of possible suspect vehicles.
Then on January 29, 2010, police made an arrest after a burglary that took place in the 800 block of Essex Road in the community of Westover Hills. Interviews from that case revealed a large-scale burglary operation involving current and former students at the Wilmington Job Corps.
Named are:
- Arrested for burglary: Santos Balmaceda, 19, of the 200 block of N. Connell Street in Wilmington, DE.
- Arrested for burglary: Marcos I Gusman, 18, of the 1900 block of W. Fourth Street in Wilmington, DE.
- Arrested for burglary: Kayla C. Brown, 20, of the 3000 block of Stoddard Place in Wilmington, DE.
- Arrested for burglary: Aleen S. Shabazz, 19, of the 400 block of W. 29th Street in Wilmington, DE.
- Arrested for burglary: Vidal Aponte-Rivera, 18, of the unit block of Denham Avenue in Claymont, DE.
- Wanted for burglary: Monet A. Harris, 18, of the 5600 block of Stokes Street in Philadelphia, PA.
A 7th suspect has also been identified as Kemoy Williams, 19, who resides in the 100 block of W. 28th Street in Wilmington.
According to police, management at the Job Corps refused to provide information on these students, even after a subpoena was issued for their records. Police say their lack of cooperation significantly delayed identifying members of the ring.
Most of the burglaries occurred Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. In each case, an organized group of three to four individuals would drive around and target a house. The driver would drop off two or three actors and park around the corner. A female "knocker" would go to the front door while one or more actors would go to the rear of the residence. The "knocker" would then signal if the coast was clear, either verbally or by cell phone.
The suspects got away with firearms, jewelry, and electronic items. To date, 12 search warrants have been executed and some of the stolen property has been recovered.
The suspects in this case have been charged with or linked to burglaries in the following areas: Claymont Heights, Gwinhurst, Bellefonte, Holly Oak, Wood Creek, Belltown Woods, Westover Hills, Mashallton, Elsmere, Glen Burnie Estates, Westwood Manor, Edgebrooke, the City of Wilmington and Landenberg, Pennsylvania. At this time, it is believed that this crew is responsible for well over 100 residential burglaries during the last year.