News
Guilty Plea In Burglaries
By John Burton
RED BANK - A borough man pleaded guilty last week to a string of burglaries and attempted burglaries in the borough in 2006-07.
Mauro Vasquez-Galvan, 27, pleaded guilty on Aug. 25 to five counts of third-degree burglary, two counts of third-degree attempted burglary, two counts of third-degree invasion of privacy, and one count of fourth-degree receiving stolen property, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office announced last week.
Vasquez-Galvan's guilty plea, before Superior Court Judge Paul F. Chaiet, was the result of a negotiated agreement struck with the prosecutor. According to that agreement, the prosecutor would recommend that Vasquez-Galvan receive two consecutive four-year state prison terms, each with a two-year period of parole ineligibility, for an aggregate sentence of eight years, but the defendant would be ineligible for parole for four of those years, according to the prosecutor's office.
Vasquez-Galvan is expected to appear before Chaiet on Oct. 3 for sentencing.
Borough police had been investigating reports of a string of burglaries occurring in May and June 2007, within a four-block area of Mechanic Street, and all occurring in the home of women. In at least two instances, the prosecutor's office said, the female victims reported to police that a man attempted to enter their residence during the early morning hours by climbing through a window. In at three of the break-ins, the burglar entered the residences while the victims were home and asleep. The victims reported a variety of items stolen, such as electronic equipment, jewelry, cash, and women's undergarments, were taken as well, authorities said.
Vasquez-Galvan, authorities said, was responsible for 19 auto burglaries, occurring between October 2006-June 2007 in the same area, and was found to be in possession of personal items taken from those vehicles.
In response to the reports, borough police conducted undercover surveillance of the neighborhood. On June 15, 2006, at about 4 a.m., police arrested Vasquez-Galvan for trespassing in the yard of a Linden Place residence.
The subsequent investigation, the prosecutor's office said, identified Vasquez-Galvan as the burglar, selecting a number of his targets by peering into the windows, discovering they were the homes of women.
A search of his residence, showed Vasquez-Galvan had approximately 361 items, determined to be the proceeds of the home and auto burglaries, authorities said.
On two occasions, Vasquez-Galvan had taken photos of the women's intimate areas, while they slept, and he had used the film and memory cards from stolen cameras, had it developed and had the pictures framed or put into photo albums, according to the prosecutor's office.
