Three men have been apprehended on felony charges in connection with repeated jewelry store burglaries in Phoenix and the West Valley.
On Thursday, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) announced the arrests of Gerard Segers, 41; Alexander Townsend, 62; and Eric Waller, 57, who police said are linked to burglaries in Litchfield Park, Phoenix, and Sun City.
Deputies said the sheriff’s office was investigating a burglary at a jewelry business on R.H. Johnson Boulevard and Camino Del Sol on August 14. On that day, security cameras saw two masked thieves breaking a store window, damaging a display case, and loading a huge red bag with stolen jewelry before fleeing.
Segers was identified as one of the suspects based on evidence found at the scene, including his Dodge Ram pickup, which was captured by nearby traffic cameras.
Then, on September 6, detectives learned of a similar crime at Litchfield Fine Jewelers, near Dysart and Camelback roads, where Segers was again identified by fingerprints. Investigators also located a black Volkswagen vehicle allegedly used in the crimes.
Authorities then got a GPS tracker warrant and monitored the vehicle, which led to a home in Phoenix. Two weeks later, monitoring data revealed the suspects’ vehicle at another burglary at 4th Street and Bell Road.
MCSO detectives quickly acquired a search warrant and arrested all three males at the Phoenix residence, where they discovered stolen jewelry, burglary tools, and clothing that matched surveillance footage. According to a news statement from the sheriff’s office, DNA evidence tied the guys to the crime.
All three individuals were brought into Maricopa County Jail on burglary and theft charges.