Troy police arrest five suspected of connections to international crime ring

Five suspects have been apprehended and arraigned after a home on Millay Drive was illegally entered. 

On Aug. 1 at approximately 12:45 p.m., Troy police dispatch received a call from a resident on Millay Drive who stated that there was an unknown person inside their home. The resident, who was at work, was watching the intruder via a camera inside the home. The suspect turned the interior camera towards a wall. 

Ultimately, it was determined there were multiple suspects involved, including 25-year-old Owen Jean Cortes, 39-year-old Michel Leandro Alba Rincon, 48-year-old Omar Giovvany Rodriguez-Aponte, 27-year-old Geovanny Enreque Castellanos-Forero and 43-year-old Luis Felipe Camargo.

Officers arrived in the area and observed  a suspect they identified as Cortes running west through the Pro Car Wash parking lot, away from the general direction of the home. A foot pursuit ensued as the suspect ran west across Rochester Road, jumping a cement wall. He was taken into custody in the area of Hidden Ridge Drive and Colebrook Avenue. 

Officers observed a second suspect, who they identified as Rincon, walking slowly southbound on the east sidewalk of Rochester Road. They said he appeared to be filming the foot pursuit with a cellphone. He was observed walking into Noni’s Restaurant, and officers took him into custody. 

Detectives observed a third suspect, who they said was Rodriguez-Aponte, walking southbound on the west sidewalk of Rochester Road toward east Big Beaver Road. Surveillance of that suspect was maintained, and he was observed getting into a silver Honda Odyssey with a Virginia license plate. 

A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle, and three additional suspects were taken into custody. Rodriguez-Aponte as a passenger, Castellanos-Forero as a passenger, and Camargo as the driver. 

On Saturday, Aug. 3, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald charged five defendants related to an alleged trans-national theft ring. Cortes was charged with second-degree home invasion and possession of burglary tools. Camargo was charged with second-degree home invasion and driving with a suspended or revoked license. Rincon, Rodriguez-Aponte, and Castellanos-Forero were all charged with second-degree home invasion.

Second-degree home invasion is a felony punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment and/or a fine up to $3,000. Possession of burglar’s tools is a felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. Driving with suspended, revoked or denied license is a misdemeanor punishable by 93 days jail time and/or a fine up to $500.

“Breaking into a home is a serious crime. It threatens our personal security in the place we should feel most safe. Because of the quick action of this homeowner and the Troy Police, these defendants are locked up, and my office will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law,” McDonald said in a press release. “Theft rings have become a major contributor to crime in our community, and I am committed to continued collaboration with law enforcement to keep these dangerous criminals off of the street.”

The defendants were arraigned Aug. 4 in 52-4 District Court before Magistrate Robert Morad. Bond was set at $1 million no 10%. All five defendants remain in custody at the Oakland County Jail. A probable cause conference was set for Aug.15. Attorneys for the suspects could not be reached for comment by press time.

“We commend our Road Patrol Officers, Detectives, and Special Investigations Unit on a tremendous collaborative effort resulting in the arrest of five suspects who are likely connected to an International crime ring,” a press release from the Troy Police Department states.