Crime

3 arrested in ‘highly coordinated’ break-in scheme that targeted Indian, East Asian residents

The “sophisticated” crime ring allegedly made off with vast amounts of cash, jewelry, and heirlooms, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan holds a press conference in 2024. Kayla Bartkowski For The Boston Globe, File

March 25, 2026 | 12:24 PM

2 minutes to read

Two men from New York will answer conspiracy charges Wednesday as prosecutors say they targeted Massachusetts families of Indian and East Asian descent in a “highly coordinated” break-in scheme that stole vast amounts of cash and jewelry.

David Rondon-Castro, 26 and Yeison Ramirez-Garcia, 25, both Queens residents, will be arraigned Wednesday morning in Woburn District Court. It was not immediately clear whether either man had an attorney.

The pair are charged with conspiracy to commit residential break-ins in connection with five incidents last summer in Woburn, Wilmington, Burlington, and North Reading, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.

Authorities have also arrested and charged a third man in the alleged conspiracy, 26-year-old Itan Dami Beltran of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He is expected to be arraigned in Woburn later this week.

Addressing reporters Wednesday, Ryan said the “sophisticated” ring involved multiple vehicles, “extensive” electronics, and stealth surveillance. According to Ryan, the men involved would attach GPS trackers to their alleged victims’ cars, install hidden cameras in the families’ yards, and use “Wi-Fi jammers” to disable security systems.

“This is the truly terrifying piece of this: they were watching people in these houses,” Ryan said. “They were monitoring their comings and goings, and they were surveilling them pretty intensely. And the allegation is that that is based at least in part on their race and ethnicity and a belief that these are individuals who would have in their homes large quantities of cash, large quantities of jewelry, family heirlooms, things of value.”

She said the accused conspirators traveled up from Rhode Island and set up bases in Weymouth and Taunton, operating out of Airbnbs as they monitored cameras, placed trackers, and singled out homes to burgle.

“This was like a job,” Ryan added.

The intruders allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, as well as “enormous amounts” of jewelry and “priceless” heirlooms, she said. Authorities are still searching for the stolen valuables but have yet to recover any, according to Ryan.

As they looked into the break-ins, investigators noted suspicious vehicles in each neighborhood and analyzed license plate records and cellphone data to identify individuals and patterns of activity, Ryan’s office explained in a press release.

A court-authorized collection of real-time “ping” data from the group’s devices led Massachusetts investigators to a short-term rental outside Baltimore, Maryland. Rondon-Castro, Ramirez-Garcia, and others were inside, and a search of the property turned up a “large quantity” of surveillance cameras, battery packs, and Wi-Fi equipment consistent with those used in the Massachusetts break-ins, the DA’s office said.

Ryan’s office prosecuted a similar case last year, when three men pleaded guilty to taking part in a burglary ring responsible for dozens of break-ins targeting residents of Indian or South Asian heritage. Ryan, who said Wednesday she believes similar crime rings are still in operation, added that her office’s investigation remains ongoing.

“We know that the impact on the affected communities far exceeds the value of stolen property and we will continue to match the level of sophistication demonstrated in these crimes with coordinated and thorough investigations like this one that end with holding those accountable who are striking fear in our cities and towns,” she said in a statement.