4 arrested in spree that included burglaries in Freeport, Greenvale, Lawrence, police say
Nassau County police announced Saturday that four men had been arrested in connection with a monthslong burglary spree that included thefts at jewelry stores in Freeport and Greenvale and a home in Lawrence.
Police said officers had conducted surveillance on four Flushing, Queens, men since April: Mario Roberto Munoz-Acevedo, 51; Juan Daniel Leiva Sepulveda, 38; Juan Lopez Gonzalez, 34; and Matias Ignacio Brito Baragano, 25.
The four men are suspected of belonging to an organized crime group also responsible for a string of coordinated burglaries along the East Coast, police said.
Police said group members are suspected of burglarizing a jewelry store on Northern Boulevard in Greenvale on July 31 around 10:45 p.m. and a second jewelry store on Atlantic Avenue in Freeport on July 4 around 12:20 a.m.
The group is said to have disabled the power meters of the jewelry stores to prevent the closed-circuit television security cameras and alarm systems from functioning. They waited for the backup batteries to lose power and then returned undetected, police said, using commercial-grade power tools to break into the businesses and safes.
Detectives discovered the group used multiple vehicles and cellphones in an attempt to avoid law enforcement detection, police said.
Munoz-Acevedo was arrested on charges related to the Greenvale and Freeport jewelry burglaries. Police said the stores lost some $570,000 in the thefts. He faces two counts of third-degree burglary and was arraigned Saturday. He remains in custody, and his bail is set at $100,000. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. It is unclear if he is represented by an attorney.
Police said Munoz-Acevedo attempted to enter the United States multiple times in August 2021 and was turned away at the Mexican border but entered the country illegally at an unknown time.
Sepulveda and Gonzalez were arrested in connection with a burglary of a residence on Albert Place in Lawrence that occurred on Oct. 7 shortly after 8 p.m., police said.
Sepulveda faces a second-degree burglary charge and was arraigned Saturday. He remains in custody, and his bail is set at $100,000. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. He entered the United States legally in February 2020 but overstayed his visa, police said.
"Today we entered a plea of not guilty for Mr. Sepulveda," said his attorney Scott Gross. "We will examine the evidence and conduct our own investigation to challenge these accusations."
Gonzalez faces a second-degree burglary charge and was arraigned Saturday. He remains in custody, and his bail is set at $40,000. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. Police said Gonzalez was in possession of a fraudulent Mexican driver’s license and federal election card; he is believed to have entered the United States illegally. His attorney did not immediately respond to a Newsday inquiry about his charge.
Baragano was arrested in Volusia County, Florida, on a fugitive from justice charge. Police said he was in possession of a fraudulent Republic of Argentina passport, which he used to fly into the Miami International Airport. He awaits extradition to Nassau County. Baragano is represented by the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County, which Newsday was not immediately able to reach.
Brinley Hineman covers the Town of Hempstead and the City of Long Beach for Newsday. She previously was a reporter in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a West Virginia native.
Full coverage of the winter storm from NewsdayTV The NewsdayTV team was across Long Island monitoring the winter weather and what's next.
Full coverage of the winter storm from NewsdayTV The NewsdayTV team was across Long Island monitoring the winter weather and what's next.
