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A pain-staking investigation spanning the streets of North Jersey and New York found that William J “Tarzan” Mariano of Wayne, Alexander Roller-Huarotte of Paterson, Aaron Valdivieso of Paterson and an unidentified female were accused of invading a Pine Lakes home in December 2015.
"The original plot was to be a home invasion/robbery of an alleged Pines lake residential drug dealer," said Wayne Police Capt. Laurence Martin, "however the suspects went to the wrong address and victimized an innocent family preparing for the upcoming holidays with no involvement what so ever with the actors or the original target of the home invasion crew."
An investigation led by Wayne Detective Vincent Ricciardelli found that the four suspects forced their way into an occupied Pine Lakes home on the evening of Dec. 17, 2015, police said.
The suspects assaulted and threatened a child with a gun and held an adult in place as the others ransacked the home, the captain said.
Several electronic devices and wrapped Christmas presents were stolen from the home before the suspects fled the area, police said.
"This case was never closed," Martin said. "It was constantly reviewed by investigators for new ideas or evidence.
Wayne Detective Vincent Ricciardelli utilized new investigative techniques, DNA developments and fingerprint analysis -- coupled with "good old-fashioned pounding the streets" and face-to-face interviews that led to the suspects' arrests earlier this month, Martin said.
More arrests are expected, police said.
The four suspects were arrested and are facing robbery, assault, theft, kidnapping, false imprisonment and more.
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