An information leak by an iPhone service provider or freight company is suspected in a spate of cell phone thefts plaguing the area, according to the Troy Police Department.
The latest suspect arrested in connection with the crime trend is a New Yorker, taken into custody on Oct. 24 after police say they witnessed him loitering around a Troy residence just before a package was delivered, and then stealing a return package the homeowner had left on the porch for a delivery service. He was wearing a FedEx jacket and hat when the theft occurred, police said.
Jose Junior Rosario, 34, is charged with five counts of larceny from mail and driving while license suspended, and is held in the Oakland County Jail with bond set at $150,000. Rosario had his U.S. passport in his possession when he was arrested, police said.
Troy police said multiple suspects unrelated to each other have been found to have direct information on expected iPhone deliveries, pointing to an information leak.
According to Troy police, Rosario had been under surveillance by officers when he drove to a Troy residence and hung around the area for several hours. An iPhone package was eventually delivered to the home and the owner retrieved it — but then left a Mac Pro laptop to be returned on the porch. Rosario grabbed it and drove off, police said. He was subsequently pulled over by police and arrested. A vehicle search turned up 16 new iPhones and a new iPad, all still in their boxes, police said.
In another recent case, a suspect was tracked from Troy into Sterling Heights where he was reportedly found to have three stolen tablets and a SIM card in his vehicle. Those items had been stolen from Utica, Sterling Heights and Southfield, police said. That arrest happened Oct. 21. The next day, Troy police reportedly identified and located another suspected iPhone thief. He was pulled over in West Bloomfield where five iPhones were recovered from the vehicle. The vehicle’s four occupants were arrested, police said.
Earlier in the month, an illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic was arrested in Troy in connection with similar crimes. Police said Yolangel Polanco-Melo wasseen on home surveillance videos shortly after deliveries in Troy and other metro Detroit cities, arriving at the homes in a Dodge Caravan and dressed in an Amazon vest, bucket-style hat and face mask. He reportedly was seen leaving small, empty boxes on porches and stealing recently-delivered iPhones, often hiding them under his vest while returning to his vehicle, police said. After Polanco-Mela was arrested, police reportedly recovered several iPhones from the vehicle, as well as several empty boxes.
The Troy Police Department strongly encourages everyone to arrange for a signature to be required upon delivery of iPhones, or pick them up from a local retailer.
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