More suspects arrested in rash of iPhone thefts

Packages containing iPhones continue to be stolen around metro Detroit, even after the arrest of a suspect.

“The investigation has led us to believe there is an information leak at either the freight company or cellphone service provider as multiple suspects unrelated to each other have direct information on expected iPhone deliveries,” a press release from the Troy Police Department said.

Police have recently arrested other suspects tied to the case.

The first suspect, Yohangel Martin Polanco Melo, was arraigned after being arrested in connection to multiple package thefts in metro Detroit that specifically targeted iPhone deliveries to residential addresses. The 23-year-old is reportedly in the United States illegally.

He was arraigned in 52-4 District Court Oct. 17, where he was charged with two counts of larceny between $1,000 and $20,000, and three counts of larceny between $200 and $1,000. His bond was set at $50,000, no 10%.

Officers with the Troy Police Department said it was not an isolated incident.

On Oct. 21, 22 and 24, Troy’s Directed Patrol Unit identified and located multiple suspects involved in iPhone package thefts in the area. 

On Oct. 21, a suspect was tracked into Sterling Heights and was arrested with the assistance of Sterling Heights detectives. Inside the vehicle there were a total of three stolen packages, from Utica, Southfield, and the one the suspect was reportedly observed stealing in Sterling Heights. The packages consisted of three tablets and a sim card. 

On Oct. 22, a suspect vehicle went to West Bloomfield, where it was stopped with assistance of the West Bloomfield Police Department, the Troy Special Investigations Unit, and South Oakland Narcotics Intelligence Consortium task force officers. Four suspects in the vehicle were arrested and transported to West Bloomfield. Five iPhones were later recovered inside the vehicle.

On Oct. 24, a suspect drove to a residence in Troy and loitered in the area for several hours. The suspect, later identified as 34-year-old Jose Junior Rosario, was wearing a FedEx jacket and hat.

An iPhone package was eventually delivered to the residential area, and the suspect walked up to the front porch, only to find that the owner, who was home, had already retrieved the package. However, in what seemed like good fortune for the suspect, the homeowner had left a MacBookPro laptop to be returned in a package on the porch. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the suspect grabbed the laptop package and drove off, police said. 

Officers maintained surveillance until a traffic stop was made, and the suspect was taken into custody without incident. In the trunk of the vehicle a total of 16 brand-new iPhones and a brand-new iPad, all still in the boxes, were located.

Rosario was arraigned in 52-4 District Court on Oct. 25, where he was charged with five counts of larceny from mail and driving on a suspended license. He is from New York and was arrested with his U.S. passport in his possession, police said. Rosario’s bond was set at $150,000, no 10%.

“We commend both our Directed Patrol Unit and Special Investigations Unit for their hard work and dedication to this case,” a press release from the Troy Police Department said. “We would also like to thank the Sterling Heights Police Department, SONIC and West Bloomfield Police Department for their assistance on these cases.”

People are encouraged to arrange for a signature to be required upon delivery or to pick phones and tablets up from a local retailer.