Police rounded up six members of a burglary team wanted for a whopping 40 robberies spanning Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, police officers announced on Friday.
The crackdown began with the arrest of 52-year-old Alexandar Medine and 35-year-old Steven Perez for third-degree burglary and possession of burglar’s tools on June 3, but officials waited until a sixth member of the crew was arrested. , 39-year-old Jose Montenegro, on Friday to make his announcement.
Montenegro is charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property for his role in the crime spree in which cash, merchandise and coin machines were seized from dozens of establishments since March, police said.
Police previously arrested Ivelisse, 32, and Isaaahiah Rodriguez, 22, on Wednesday for criminal possession of stolen property, police said.
Jesse Pinale, 30, was also arrested Wednesday on a charge of fourth-degree grand larceny
The burglars broke into three stores in Brooklyn, nine in the Bronx and 29 in Queens, often targeting launderette where they seized coins and ATMs in their late-night and early-morning raids, police said.
The thieves used different getaway vehicles in their robberies with stolen license plates, police said.
The most recent break-in was on June 24, when three crooks broke into a laundromat on Grand Ave near Van Kleeck St. in Queens around 3:15 a.m., made off with $1,800 and took a payment machine that contained an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.
No civilians were injured in the break-ins, police said.