Cases have advanced against two men — one in the U.S. illegally — accused of stealing new iPhones delivered to porches in Troy.
Police have said an information leak by an iPhone service provider or freight company is suspected in a spate of such thefts plaguing the area, according to the Troy Police Department.
Arraignment in Oakland County Circuit Court is scheduled for Nov. 26 for Yohangel Polanco-Melo, an illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic, and Jose Junior Rosario, a New Yorker — each facing several larceny charges in connection with the thefts. They were arrested last month, in separate incidents.
Police said Polanco-Melo was seen 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 on Oct. 15, police reportedly recovered several iPhones from the vehicle, as well as several empty boxes.
Rosario was 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.
Polanco-Melo and Rosario are held in the Oakland County Jail.
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.
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