HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — The Howard County Police Department has arrested nine men in connection to two separate burglary groups that targeted high-value residences in May and September.
The police department tracked one group of suspects as they attempted to break into a residence in Highland on Sept. 3. The group targeted a home, located on Deer Valley Road, and attempted to enter through the sliding glass door at the rear of the home. Police were able to arrest six suspects at the scene.
According to police, 22-year-old Axll Castillo-Almeida, 46-year-old Henry Castillo, 23-year-old Jeremy Castillo, 57-year-old Ramiro Herrera-Martinez, all of Queens, N.Y., and 24-year-old Jose Cisneros-Mendoza and 41-year-old Leandro Hernandez-Alarcon, of no fixed address, were each charged with three counts of burglary and one count of destruction of property:
In the other incident, a victim reported that her home located on Scaggsville Road in Laurel was broken into on May 2. More than $18,000 worth of jewelry was stolen during the burglary. Through an investigation, officers were able to identify the suspects in the case as 24-year-old Javier Carrasco Jr. and 29-year-old Ignacio Parra-Otarola, of no fixed address, along with 52-year-old Felix Gonzalez, of Miami. The three suspects are each charged with three counts of burglary and one count of theft.
Detectives say in recent years similar groups have targeted high-value residences throughout the country, including some in Howard County. The police department is continuing to work with other agencies to connect the suspects to similar crimes throughout the region.