Competing Package Thieves Arrested After 1 Called 911: Wayne PD

WAYNE, NJ — Officials say they arrested five men who are part of dueling package theft crews, after one man called 911 to tip Wayne Police off to the other group.

The 911 call reporting a burglary in progress at a Ratzer Road home came in at around 3:50 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29, said Detective Captain Dan Daly in a statement. Daly, who was in the area, arrived moments later and spotted two black sedans on Kievet Road.

One, a Mercedes, was driving away, he said. The 911 caller told dispatchers that the other car, a Honda, was the suspect vehicle in the burglary, but Daly suspected that the Mercedes was also involved.

Lieutenant David Hoppe arrived on scene and pulled over the Honda driver, while Daly followed the Mercedes and made a stop along Valley Road. Both vehicles had invalid temporary license plates, Daly said.

Then, other officers arrived (including Chief Joe Rooney), and detained the five people inside the cars. Police found ski masks and delivery driver vests inside the Honda, which Daly said are "common tools used in these thefts."

"It has also become common for competing theft crews to circle the targeted location, and in some cases have engaged in fighting over the delivered package," he added.

Investigating officers "learned that the Ratzer Road resident never made a call to police and that a resident of the home on Kievit Road, where the suspect vehicles were spotted, was expecting the delivery of a computer at any time," Daly said.

This incident follows several other recent thefts and attempted thefts in Wayne, where the thieves target deliveries containing electronics. Daly previously told Patch that the perpetrators in these cases seem to know when and where the packages are being delivered.

Officials eventually determined that the driver of the Mercedes had called 911 on the Honda occupants to try and "get the competition out of the way" for his crew.

Police arrested and charged the following people:

• Rafael Evangelista Toribo, 29, of West New York: Charged with misuse of 911, conspiracy, and providing false reports to law enforcement.
• Jose Del Rosario-Camacho, 30, of Jersey City: Charged with misuse of 911, conspiracy, and providing false reports to law enforcement. Police said Rosario-Camacho also provided a false name during processing and was found to be wanted out of Florida, and they also charged him with hindering apprehension and as a fugitive from justice.
• Railin Moreno Hernandez, 29, of Irvington: Charged with possession of burglary tools and conspiracy. Police said he was previously charged in Wayne in a package theft "of similar circumstances."
• Michael Aquino, 30, of Union City: Charged with possession of burglary tools and conspiracy.
• Emaniel Luo-Felix, 27, of East Orange: Charged with possession of burglary tools and conspiracy.

Related article — 'Porch Pirates' Seemed To Know When Cell Phone Deliveries Would Arrive: Wayne PD