NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A serial burglar who went on a three-month crime spree several years ago that targeted single-family homes across Queens was sentenced to up to 30 years in prison, District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Wednesday.
Juan Morales, 45, was convicted in a jury trial earlier this year of 13 counts of burglary, two counts of attempted burglary and related charges for the series of crimes in 2022 and 2023, prosecutors said.
During that time he broke into homes across Queens County and stole tens of thousands of dollars in cash, jewelry and designer handbags as well as passports and credit cards, prosecutors said. His haul included multiple Rolex and Cartier watches, a Hermes Birkin purse, diamond jewelry and sentimental items like a college ring and family home videos.
The burglary spree began on Nov. 5, 2022, when Morales broke into a Glen Oaks home. The occupant returned to their residence to find the first-floor bedroom ransacked, the back door broken and $33,000 in jewelry, watches and cash missing.
A neighbor’s video surveillance captured Morales approaching the home that evening while carrying a black backpack and with a reflective silver stripe.
As part of the burglary pattern, Morales wore gloves, all black clothing, black sneakers, a wrist-mounted flashlight and carried this distinctive backpack. He routinely cut wires outside to disable security cameras and caused thousands in damages breaking into the homes.
On Feb. 15, 2023, police responded to a home in Auburndale after an occupant received an alert from a backyard motion detector. Police apprehended Morales as he attempted to flee from a shattered glass door, and he was found carrying a backpack with burglar’s tools, cash and jewelry belonging to the homeowner.
His clothing and backpack linked Morales to the other burglaries, and over $400,000 in cash in various denominations was found in his storage unit along with his old passports.
“Your home should be the safest place for you and your family. This defendant shattered that peace of mind for these victims. He spent three months perfecting his craft, wearing gloves and disabling security systems and Wi-Fi, as he broke into homes and stole thousands of dollars in possessions,” Katz said. “He has now faced justice for his actions and will serve up to 30 years in prison.”
Morales’ sentence will be followed by five years of post-release supervision.