Suffolk County Police, with assistance from the Head of the Harbor Police Department, have arrested a Port Jefferson man for two burglaries in Head of the Harbor.
An officer from the Head of the Harbor Police Department observed a man in possession of a plastic bag containing jewelry on Rhododendron Road in Head of the Harbor on March 14 at 12:20 p.m. As the officer was speaking to the man, he dropped the bag and fled. The officer requested assistance from the Suffolk County Police Canine Section and following a search, the man was located on Saddle Road at 1 p.m.
Arlindo DaCruz was transported to the Suffolk County Police Department’s Fourth Precinct where he admitted that he broke into a house on Rhododendron Road on two separate occasions.
DaCruz’s van was searched and a large quantity of stolen items were recovered. DaCruz claimed that he painted houses and did restoration work with companies called F&M Custom Painting Service Corp. and Long Island Finest Painting Service. Detectives are investigating a possible connection with these stolen items and the companies. DaCruz distributed flyers under the company name to solicit business but detectives have yet to determine if these companies exist.
Fourth Squad detectives charged DaCruz, 31, of Port Jefferson, with two counts of Burglary 2nd Degree and one count of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property. Detectives are seeking the public’s assistance to identify the owner’s of Franklin Mint statues found in DaCruz’s van. They are also looking to speak to anyone who may have received flyers from companies DaCruz claimed to work for. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Fourth Squad at 631-854-8452.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.