Four arrested in Suffolk burglaries

Four men were arraigned on Sunday on charges that theycommitted seven burglaries since September.

The break in the case came Friday about 10:25 a.m., when police with the Fifth Precinct responded to a call about a burglary in progress on Haig Avenue in East Patchogue, police said. The officers spotted a man later identified as Marvin Escobar walking out of the backyard and down the driveway of the home, police said.

When officers approached, Escobar, 19, of Bay Shore, ran, but police stopped him a short time later carrying assorted jewelry, authorities said.

Later, as detectives walked to their vehicles, they noticed a white van, which they described as suspicious, and broadcast its description. The white Dodge Caravan had magnetic Optimum Cable logos attached, police said.

Police said one of the men in the van, Francisco Sanchez, 41, of Brentwood, was a subcontractor for Optimum Cable. Sanchez, police say, picked unoccupied homes to target for burglary.

Sanchez works for Hicksville-based Nationwide CATV, according to police. Nationwide has been a subcontractor for Cablevision, the corporate owner of Newsday.

In a statement, Jim Maiella, Cablevision's spokesman, said, "We are cooperating fully with the police and are immediately suspending work with the Nationwide subcontracting company, which provides a limited amount of work, only in Suffolk County, N.Y., pending a complete review and thorough investigation."

Officer Christine Balsamo stopped the van after spotting it on Sipp Avenue near East Woodside Avenue in Medford, police said.

The driver and two passengers also had assorted jewelry, police said. Further investigation revealed that the men in the van were also responsible for the Haig Avenue burglary, police said.

After his arrest, police charged Sanchez with fourth-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing jewelry while he was working as a subcontractor in Terryville in July.

Police accused Sanchez of committing the other crimes during his off time.

"He was doing this on the days he wasn't working," Sgt. Alan Feinstein said of Sanchez. "He'd assemble his group of guys and pick out houses based on looking unoccupied."

The other men arrested were Robert Alcantara, 20, of Central Islip, and Jose Castro, 19, of Brentwood, police said. They were charged with second-degree burglary.

Police said they further learned that the four men were responsible for two burglaries in North Bay Shore in September and December, and another in Bay Shore in December; and three in Medford, Farmingville and Holtsville in January, police said.

The burglars took jewelry, laptop computers and cash, Feinstein said.

At their arraignments at First District Court in Central Islip, Alcantara and Castro were each ordered held on a total of $120,000 bond or $120,000 bail. They are due back in court on Thursday.

Sanchez and Escobar were also arraigned on Sunday, according to court records, but details of their arraignments were not immediately available on Sunday. Sanchez and Escobar are also due back in court on Thursday.

Detectives are investigating the possibility that the men committed other burglaries, and they ask that anyone who may have information to call 631-854-8552.

-- With Jennifer Barrios