String of burglaries in Philly region linked to theft group from NYC, police say

Three people are in custody after a string of burglaries in our region, and the suspects are believed to be part of a South American theft group working out of the Queens section of New York City, police said.

The ring was uncovered after an incident on Jan. 31, 2026, when three men identified as Columbian nationals went up to four separate homes in the Neshaminy Valley section of Bensalem between 6 and 8:10 p.m., Bensalem Township police said.

The suspects tried to enter the first three homes through rear doors or windows, but they fled after the homeowners or alarm systems scared them off, police said.

However, the three men entered the fourth home they tried and then burglarized the residence, police said.

Using surveillance footage, license plate readers and witness statements, Bensalem police were able to identify the vehicles involved. Also, according to police, the incidents in Bensalem were able to be matched with other incidents in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

The three suspects now in custody have been identified as Robinson Jean Paul Moncada Patarroyo, Daniel Alejandro Garcia Arenas and Yeison Estiven Gonzalez Rodriguez, police said.

Arenas was arraigned in Montgomery County on Wednesday, April 1, and Patarroyo and Rodriguez are in custody out-of-state and are waiting extradition, police said.

In addition to facing charges in Bensalem, the three faces charges in Warrington Township in Bucks County, Franconia Township, Montgomery Township and Lower Salford Township in Montgomery County, as well as Rice Township in Luzerne County, police said.