LACKAWANNA COUNTY -- State police arrested two suspected burglars on Wednesday, and are looking for another, who they say were part of a spree of break-ins spanning five counties in our area.
State police first arrested Aaron Castro of Clarks Summit in January when they say his attempt to burglarize a home near Thornhurst was thwarted by a neighbor.
According to court papers, Castro admitted to committing several other burglaries with accomplices. One of those accomplices was arrested Wednesday.
A family in Dunmore says they returned from a New Year's vacation in January to find their back door kicked in and some jewelry stolen. But what the burglars really took was more than material.
"You don't feel secure in your home anymore. You're always looking out your windows. I hope that will wear away."
The burglary victim breathed a sigh of relief when she heard state police have now arrested the two men they believe burglarized her home.
State police charged Aaron Castro of Clarks Summit and Sean Vought, 38, of Dunmore with burglary and other charges. Police say the pair, and maybe a third accomplice, are responsible for six burglaries in Lackawanna County in December and January.
But police say they can connect the two to a total of 12 burglaries in five different counties, partly because Castro and Vought admitted to some and also because police tracked down some of the stolen items at Jeff's Trading Post on North Main Avenue in Scranton.
Investigators used an online database that pawn shop owners are now required to keep.
"It is old fashioned police work. Our investigators still have to be out there. But it does help with this new technology that's available for them to follow these people," said Trooper Connie Devens.
State police say the whole investigation started when a neighbor played police.
Troopers first met Aaron Castro when they say he was burglarizing a home near Thornhurst in January. A neighbor spotted him and shot out his tires so Castro couldn't get away.
Troopers slapped him with the new burglary charges while he was already behind bars for that January crime.
"I'm very happy about that, because there's one less we have to worry about. But it seems in these times there's too much of it."
State police say Castro and Vought are connected to 12 burglaries in five counties but only charged them with six in Lackawanna County committed in December and January.
State police say they expect to arrest a third person in the burglary scheme later this week.