As per US cops burglars are now using WiFi jammers to render home security systems useless

Arrest warrants obtained on Friday revealed that a group of tech-savvy burglars, who have been targeting homes in Connecticut and Massachusetts, gained access to a local residence by obtaining detailed information on the security system from the homeowner's co-worker.

Matthew Colon, a 31-year-old resident of West Springfield, Massachusetts, has been apprehended for his involvement in a conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit second-degree larceny. Similarly, Enrique Santiago, aged 37 and hailing from Springfield, Massachusetts, is facing multiple charges, including first-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, theft of a firearm, and conspiracy.

According to the warrant for Colon, authorities anticipate apprehending a third individual in relation to the incident. This case is linked to a series of burglaries involving sophisticated surveillance techniques and knowledge of homeowners' absence.

On May 20, 2022, a resident of Green Manor Terrace contacted the police from Long Island, informing them that two men were seen walking through his backyard on a security camera. The officers who intervened in the burglary discovered a broken rear sliding glass door and a series of abandoned evidence near the property, such as a WiFi jammer, a two-way portable radio, a glass punch tool, a pry bar, and bolt cutters, as stated in the warrant.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit written by Windsor Locks Detective Sgt. Jeff Lampson, the thieves managed to breach a chain link fence and disable surveillance cameras using both manual methods and a WiFi jammer. However, one camera near the pool remained unaffected by the gsm jammer device and continued to record. The homeowner reported the theft of US$4,200 in cash, as well as men's watches, jewelry, and his wife's 9 mm pistol.

According to the police, on May 26, a pillowcase was discovered by a resident who lived two houses away. The pillowcase contained watches, a handgun, and other belongings that the victims confirmed as their own. The burglars, after the break-in, fled in separate directions, as indicated by the locations of the bag of stolen items and the backpack containing a WiFi jammer.

On Friday, Lampson stated that the use or operation of jamming devices is prohibited by federal law and federal investigators are showing interest in the matter. He also mentioned that the local police have observed an increase in the use of these devices in residential burglaries.

The thieves' downfall was ultimately confirmed by the police through DNA evidence in this particular instance. While conducting a thorough search of the Green Manor Terrace vicinity on May 23, a resident discovered a previously unseen pair of gloves and promptly handed them over to the authorities. The police then sent swabs from the gloves, along with other potential evidence that the thieves may have come into contact with, to the state forensic laboratory for analysis.

According to the warrant, Lampson wrote that on August 16, the lab reported a DNA match on the gloves to Santiago, which indicated the involvement of an offender. The police stated that the same DNA was linked to two prior burglary cases, one of which was a car break-in in Middletown from 2010, and the other was a burglary in South Hadley, Massachusetts in 2012, where firearms were stolen. Santiago was apprehended in both instances.

According to the warrant, Santiago, through his lawyer, informed the investigators from Windsor Locks that the individual responsible for coordinating the Green Manor Terrace burglary was a man who drove a black sedan and whose father owned a remodeling company. In the same warrant, Lampson stated that when he asked the homeowner if he was familiar with someone fitting that description, the homeowner promptly identified Colon, who happened to be a co-worker at a home health care business in East Longmeadow, Mass.

According to the warrant, the homeowner mentioned that he regarded Colon as a friend and had informed him about his visit to Long Island in May of last year. The victim further stated that Colon and his father had assisted him in renovating his house. The warrant also mentioned that the homeowner stated that Matthew Colon had visited his residence on multiple occasions and was familiar with the surveillance camera system.

Colon explained to the authorities that he was brought into the burglary plan by the third suspect, as stated in the warrant. This revelation came after the victim's statements and burglary evidence were presented to him. The police are currently expecting to arrest the third suspect in the near future.

The girlfriend of the suspect was also employed at the home health care company where Colon and the victim from Windsor Locks worked. According to Lampson's warrant, other employees of the company reported that their homes in Massachusetts had been burglarized. One woman claimed that Colon had visited her house to repair a gazebo before the burglary occurred.

According to the warrant, cellphone records indicated that Colon, Santiago, and the unidentified suspect were in communication before and after the Windsor Locks burglary. The police have identified the third suspect as a convicted felon with an extensive criminal history, which involves armed robbery and multiple burglaries.

Santiago's extensive criminal record, as mentioned in the warrant, includes convictions for burglary and larceny in Connecticut. The Massachusetts investigators suspect his involvement in a criminal organization that specializes in targeted burglaries. Santiago has posted a bond of US$150,000 and is expected to make an appearance in the state Superior Court in Hartford on May 31. Similarly, Colon has posted a bond of US$100,000 and is scheduled to appear in court on May 2.