An alert Pittsfield Township police officer arrested two men wanted for questioning in a string of auto break-ins and subsequent burglaries using GPS devices in southeast Michigan, authorities said.
Christopher Michael Cacicedo and Phillip Ray Trivett, both 23, are charged with conspiracy to commit home invasion, larceny from a motor vehicle, breaking and entering in a motor vehicle and possession of burglary tools.
Thieves have been stealing GPS units, registrations and garage door openers from cars, police say. Using addresses on the registrations or programmed into the GPS units, they drive to homes and burglarize them, investigators say. Many of the car break-ins have occurred at venues where people spend hours of their time, including movie theaters or sporting events, police say. That means the thieves have time to take the GPS units and drive to the people's homes before they discover the theft.
Cacicedo and Trivett are under investigation for two incidents in which cars were broken into in Pittsfield Township and homes were subsequently burglarized, said Gordy Schick, the township's deputy director of police services.
A number of other law enforcement agencies across the Metro Detroit area also are investigating, Schick said.
Pittsfield Officer Aja Chung spotted Cacicedo and Trivett next to a white pick-up truck in the parking lot of Showcase Cinemas on Carpenter Road at about 8 p.m. Wednesday, police said.
Investigators had been looking for the truck for weeks, and Chung noticed the vehicle parked next to it had a broken window. Chung also found a garage door opener underneath the truck. It had been taken from the other car, police said.
She arrested the men with assistance from other officers.
It's unclear whether the men have attorneys. Attempts this afternoon to contact their family members were unsuccessful.
Schick said he's relieved the two are in custody.
"These are two guys you would not want around during the holidays," Schick said.
Cacicedo of Trenton and Trivett of Rockwood are being held at the Washtenaw County Jail. Cacicedo is being held on $25,000 bail, and Trivett is being held on $20,000 bail, jail officials said.
Cacicedo has previously been convicted of charges including breaking and entering into a vehicle, state Department of Corrections records show.
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at (734) 623-2527 or email at leehiggins@annarbor.com.
http://www.annarbor.com/news/men-wanted-for-questioning-in-string-of-auto-break-ins-are-arrested/
