3 Union County Men Charged In North Jersey Cul-De-Sac Robbery Ring

ELIZABETH, NJ — Three Elizabeth men were charged this week in connection with a string of robberies at homes in affluent sections of North Jersey, authorities said.

Steven Rugeles, 30; Santiago Camargo-Rojas, 24; and Nicholas Buitrago-Grillo, 23, were charged with conspiracy to commit burglary, receiving stolen property, possession of false government documents and possession of burglar tools after police executed a search of their homes on Tuesday, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Rugeles was also charged with money laundering.

Between March 2023 through July 2023, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigation Squad investigated the string of burglaries in Bergen County, which targeted residential homes in affluent areas, often on or near dead end or cul-de-sac streets, police said.

Some towns targeted in the burglary ring included Saddle River, Fair Lawn, Woodcliff, Glen Rock, Closter, Alpine and Cresskill.

The burglaries took place during the early evening hours when the homes were not well lit; the trio would sometimes pose as delivery workers to ensure nobody was inside the target residence. Once inside, the three would remove high-end designer items, jewelry and cash, police said.

Detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office executed two search warrants on Tuesday at 1208 Fairmount Avenue and 738 Seaport Drive in Elizabeth.

The search revealed tools commonly used by burglars to gain access to residences, Musella said. An abundance of jewelry, luxury watches, and currency were found, all which are believed to stem from the burglaries committed in Bergen County and other jurisdictions in the tristate area.

Fake government documents including driver’s licenses and passports were also located at both search warrant locations.

All three are being held in Bergen County Jail pending court appearances.