Police arrest 2 suspects connected to at least 18 Glendale cat burglaries
May 16, 2023, 5:27 PM | Updated: May 17, 2023, 6:22 am
(Glendale Police Photos)
PHOENIX – Glendale police arrested two suspects accused of a string of cat burglaries in the area.
Police identified the suspects as 32-year-old Joseph Sosa and 24-year-old Demarie Doss. The two were arrested in April and are connected to at least 18 homes in and around the Glendale area.
Detective Mark Coyle said there were also two cases in Phoenix and one in Avondale.
According to police, the burglaries occurred overnight between 1:30 a.m. and 6:15 a.m. between January and April 2023.
Sergeant Randy Stewart said the suspects entered the homes through unlocked doors, windows and dog doors. Purses, credit cards, wallets, keys and gaming consoles were typically stolen in the burglaries.
“One thing that’s very important is a lot of these homes they were breaking into weren’t necessarily locked,” Stewart said. “Always keep your home locked at night when you’re sleeping. Keep your windows locked. If you have dog doors be mindful. If you have a way to shut them. Shut them at night Have alarms on if you have them.”
Detectives located the suspects through surveillance footage from residents’ homes and nearby businesses.
“Mr. Doss was identified using a credit card that was taken from one of the home burglaries. We got video surveillance footage obviously the victim had to report their card had been used,” Coyle said.
Coyle said they got video from a Circle K and two Quik Trip locations. They were able to identify license plates and move forward with the case.
Officers found stolen handguns on the suspects when they were apprehended. A search warrant on their apartment found additional stolen property along with clothing that was worn during the burglaries.
A Maricopa Grand Jury indicted Sosa on eight felony charges and Doss on 11 felony charges. Both suspects face charges of burglary, misconduct involving weapons, trafficking stolen property and theft and fraudulent use of credit cards.
Glendale police recommend that residents keep doors and windows properly secure, installing security and doorbell cameras to help identify any potential threats to their homes.