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Yonkers resident German Martinez was indicted this week by a Westchester County grand jury for multiple private home burglaries throughout Westchester, District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr., announced. The spree started the day after Christmas and continued into the first week of the New Year.
Scarpino said the charges stem from 10 separate incidents.
Specifically, Martinez was charged with:
- Two counts of first-degree burglary;
- One count of first-degree robbery;
- Six counts of second-degree burglary;
- One count of attempted burglary;
- One count of third-degree burglary;
- Six counts of third-degree grand larceny;
- Two counts of criminal possession of stolen property;
- One count of criminal mischief, and;
- One count of possession of burglar’s tools.
It is alleged that Martinez broke into several Westchester residences in a burglary spree from Thursday, Dec. 26 last year, through Saturday, Jan. 4 this year.
Scarpino said Martinez stole property, and / or threatened or injured victims at the scene.
Stolen property included cash, jewelry, laptop computers, and other items. In some cases, Scarpino said he broke a window to gain entry or forced his way in using a crowbar.
During one burglary, Martinez threatened a victim with a knife and, in another, he injured a victim at the scene of the burglary.
Scarpino said it is alleged that Martinez hired taxis with unwitting drivers to take him to the locations and told them to await his return.
Using license plate readers in the vicinity of the burglaries, investigators interviewed one of the cab drivers who was able to give police the Martinez’s phone number.
Martinez was arrested on Yonkers on Tuesday, Jan 7.
According to Scarpino, Three locations in Tarrytown - including one home twice - and one in Dobbs Ferry were targeted by Martinez late in December.
On Thursday, Jan. 2, two Yonkers residences and one in Sleepy Hollow were burglariezed.
On Friday, Jan. 3, he allegedly burglarized a home in White Plains and the following day, a home in Rye.
Martinez’s bail was set at $500,000 cash, $1 million bond or $2 million secured bond. He is scheduled to appear back in court on Tuesday, March 3.
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