Phoenix police have detained four men in connection with two home invasions, one of which involved a gun pointed at a child.
Scarlyn Lebron Ogando, Josue Rafael Colon Rodriguez, and Darol Daniel Garcia Santana, all 23 years old, were arrested, along with 26-year-old Ronnie Baez, who police say targeted the homes based on previous appliance delivery.
The first incident occurred just before 5 a.m. on Monday, September 29, when three to four armed men forced their way into a Phoenix residence and demanded money. According to police, one of the suspects pulled a 10-year-old girl’s hair and held a gun at her while forcing her around the house for around 30 minutes before fleeing empty-handed.
The woman who lives in the house informed responding officers that the suspects had Puerto Rican or Central American accents.
A similar house invasion occurred shortly after 2 a.m. on October 8, when armed men approached a Phoenix homeowner’s front door. They forced their way in, demanded money, and threatened to shoot the dog in the backyard.
Neither money nor property was taken during this occurrence. The homeowner informed authorities that all of the criminals spoke Spanish with a Venezuelan accent.
Detectives discovered that a red Honda Civic had been parked nearby for around two hours before the home invasion. Surveillance film from city buses, license plate scanners, and real-time traffic cameras identified the automobile, which belonged to Mesa resident Ogando.
Investigators looked into his past and discovered that Ogando was in the United States on a visa from the Dominican Republic and had previously played minor league baseball with the Chicago Cubs.
He most recently worked as a driver for Temco Logistics, which delivers appliances and furniture for retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe’s. According to court documents, the victims in each home invasion had appliances delivered during the previous six months.
Ogando was detained on December 2 and apparently acknowledged to his involvement in both incidents. He stated that he had been approached by some acquaintances who claimed they could obtain money and narcotics from the properties.
According to the records, Oganda claims the robberies were coordinated by a man named “Valenzuela,” and he believes he was urged to participate so they could use his car. He shared information about the other three suspects, who were captured earlier this week.
According to records, Santana and Baez denied any involvement in the robberies, while Rodriguez admitted to serving as a lookout.
Police say three search warrants were executed at the defendants’ houses, yielding five rifles and at least ten handguns. According to documents, 7.5 pounds of suspected fentanyl were recovered during a search of Rodriguez’s flat, which he said was for a buddy named “Valenzuela.”
According to online data, Rodriguez and Baez previously played minor league baseball. It’s unclear whether the others were connected to Temco Logistics.
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