Three migrants who resided at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan were apprehended for engaging in a shoplifting spree in New Jersey. According to authorities, they managed to steal clothing, perfume, and various other items with a total value of $5,300.
On Valentine’s Day, police arrested Dugleidy Gonzalez-Riera, 28, Yefferson Prieto-Galviz, 23, and Morelis Blanco-Cineros, 41, after a traffic stop in Wayne, New Jersey. They were found in possession of a car filled with drugs and stolen clothes from multiple stores.
According to a statement by WPD Detective Captain Dan Daly, the search of their persons and the vehicle revealed not only ecstasy pills and drug paraphernalia, but also a significant amount of stolen merchandise. This stolen merchandise included clothing, shoes, and fragrances from popular stores such as Ulta, Kohl’s, JC Penney, and Macy’s. In total, the value of the stolen items amounted to over $5,300.
Wayne police officers conducted a traffic stop on a car when they observed it tailgating another vehicle. Additionally, one of the occupants was observed not wearing a seat belt, according to the police.
According to the police, none of the three individuals inside the vehicle were able to provide a driver’s license or speak English. Furthermore, it was discovered that the license plate on the vehicle belonged to a different vehicle.
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Police officers also observed multiple clothing items from Ulta Beauty, a store that is frequently targeted by thieves, with the store tags still attached, in addition to drug paraphernalia.
The police got in touch with the store, and the store confirmed that some clothes that matched the ones found in the vehicle had been stolen in the past two hours. They even provided images of the suspects. As a result, the suspects were apprehended and taken into custody.
At first, they gave the police false names before their true identities were revealed.
All the suspects faced charges for receiving stolen property, possessing a controlled dangerous substance, having drug paraphernalia, and shoplifting.
Prieto-Galviz and Blanco-Cineros faced additional charges of hindering apprehension.
They all resided in the Roosevelt Hotel, which is currently functioning as a migrant shelter in Midtown Manhattan.
According to the police, the alleged thieves are currently being held in custody at Passaic County Jail. The police have expressed concerns that these individuals may attempt to jump bail, which is why they are being kept in custody. They will remain in jail until their detention hearings take place.
Last June, New York City entered into a lease agreement with Pakistan to acquire the Roosevelt Hotel for a duration of three years. The city paid a sum of $220 million for this arrangement, which was made in response to the significant increase in migrants arriving at the southern border. The purpose of acquiring the hotel was to utilize it as a shelter to accommodate these migrants.
The overcrowding at the 1,000-room shelter has led to a situation where asylum seekers are forced to sleep on the ground and even in cars parked outside.
Since the migrants took residence at the once-iconic hotel, numerous arrests have taken place.
