Charges Made in String of UP SUV Burglaries
University Park SUV owners can rejoice as charges have been made on suspects allegedly responsible for the large wave of third-row seat burglaries that hit the area in the past 60 days.
Brandon M. Craft, 28, and Moses Navarrete, 30, who were caught by Highland Park Department of Public Safety officers Tuesday, have been charged with the theft of 40 third-row seats and one navigation system in University Park.
Capt. Leon Holman with the University Park Police Department said the two admitted to more than 80 in the Park Cities and surrounding Dallas area.
Although originally believed to be several groups of people, the two worked for roughly four hours every night stealing, loading, and unloading a Honda sedan, he said.
“It’s kind of like an assembly line, they were coming out here taking the seats, they took the seats to the [buyer], the [buyer] was turning around selling it back to the people who had the seats stolen in the first place — and people would take the seats again,” Holman said. “It’s a vicious circle.”
As the duo’s car filled up, the two would run the stolen property back to a nearby apartment and head back out to find more seats, Holman said.
Now UPPD is searching for the buyer who was purchasing these seats from Craft and Navarrete. Holman said after the buyer got too many seats, he asked the duo for other items which changed their target to factory GPS and navigation systems.
Holman said did not have a specific amount on the cost of stolen property but with average seat prices, an estimate could well come out close to $100,000.
The District Attorney’s office is trying to combine all the offenses into one felony for the two, Holman said.
“Hopefully they’ll be off the street for awhile,” he said.
Can the seats be returned to the owners?