ACCUSED THIEF TARGETS WRONG CAR FOR BREAK-IN -BITES AT BAIT
SET BY BRONX DA’S AUTO CRIME TEAM

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that a 37-year-old Bronx man has been hit with a laundry list of misdemeanor offenses after he allegedly picked the wrong car to break into, a vehicle owned by the Bronx DA’s Auto Crime Team.

Luis Santos, of 2335 Crotona Avenue, was charged with two counts of Petit Larceny, seven counts of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, one count of Auto Stripping in the 3rd degree, one count of Criminal Mischief in the 4th degree, and Possession of Burglar’s Tools. Each Class A misdemeanor offense is punishable by a maximum sentence of up to one year in jail.

The defendant’s troubles began during a midday stakeout last Thursday by Bronx DA Detective Investigators and Police Officers from the 48th precinct in response to a recent rash of break-ins and vandalism of cars in the area. Bronx DA Detective Investigators parked a 1999 Honda Civic on East 188th Street between Hughes and Belmont Avenues and waited. The “bait car” had a GPS unit on the dashboard and two cellular telephones on the floor next to the front seat on the passenger’s side.

According to court papers, the detectives watched the defendant “punch the driver’s side door window with a hard object, push the shattered glass into the vehicle” and climb inside. Santos allegedly put the Global Positioning System, which belongs to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, and two cellular telephones, which belong to the New York City Police Department, into a white plastic bag. Santos was arrested when he got out of the car with the bag in his possession. Investigators later recovered four additional stolen GPS Units and a stolen cellular telephone from the defendant’s residence.

District Attorney Johnson thanked Chief Detective Investigator Steven Nasta, Deputy Chief Frank Viggiano, Lt. Rocco Galasso and Detective Investigators Anthony Rambazis and William Qualls for their efforts in making this arrest.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sharif Nesheiwat of the Arson/Auto/Economic Crimes Bureau.