Three Men Charged in Residential Burglaries

Following a rash of break-ins in East Brunswick earlier this month, an increased police presence patrolling local streets led to three men being charged with burglary on Monday.

Wandy Reynoso-Castro, 25, Johan Montero-Castro, 22, and Jose Ramirez, 24, all of New Brunswick, were charged with burglary and possession of burglar’s tools after they were allegedly spotted by a plain clothes officer scouting a possible burglary location, police said.

At 12:50 p.m. on Nov. 25, Patrolman Glenn Tabasko saw two males sitting in a van that was parked illegally at the corner of Branton Drive and Overhill Drive, while a third male was observed walking from behind a residence on Branton Drive, according to police.

Tabasko stopped the van and identified one of the passengers as the same individual that was allegedly walking from the rear of the Branton Drive home, police said.

None of the men were able to explain why they were in the neighborhood, according to police.

Officers subsequently found evidence of a burglary at one of the houses on Branton Drive and found evidence in the van that was consistent with evidence found at the scene of that burglary, according to police.

All three suspects are being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick on $20,000 bail. 

On Monday, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office issued an alert reporting a spike in residential burglaries, while East Brunswick, like many neighboring communities, saw several break-ins occur over the span of a few weeks in early November.

The areas that were hit included the neighborhoods near Summerhill Road and Old Stage Road (Clearview, Stephens and Dobson) and neighborhoods near Ryder’s Lane by the North Brunswick border (Ryders, Corona, Perry, Allwood, Bruning and Jean), police said. There were also burglaries reported on Parsons Road and Flagler Street. 

As a result, East Brunswick Police increased patrols involving plain clothes officers in unmarked vehicles, which led to several arrests for burglary, narcotics possession and outstanding warrants, according to police. Officers have also conducted checks on residences with the potential for burglaries, including open garage doors, open front doors and gates to rear yards being left open, police said.

With the holidays typically causing a spike in burglaries, police and the county prosecutor are urging residents to safeguard their homes. Anyone with any additional information on the recent burglaries should contact Det. Dan Unkel of the East Brunswick Police Department’s Investigative Division at 732-390-6990.

Click here for tips on safeguarding your home from burglars.