The four men police arrested in connection to a Nassau County, New York, Jan. 9 Macy’s heist turned out to be bused migrants from Texas, officials announced Monday.
Police arrested Wrallan Cabezas Meza, 19, Miguel Angel Rojas, 21, Rafael Rojas, 27, and Jose Garcia Escobar, 30, for allegedly stealing $12,489 in merchandise from the Macy’s Roosevelt Field in Garden City, New York, the New York Post reported.
Police reportedly nabbed the gang in a 2006 BMW with fake license plates in Hampstead, New York, after pulling over the vehicle for failing to use a turn signal. The men apparently told a Spanish-speaking Nassau County detective that they were originally bused to New York from Texas, Detective Lt. Richard Lebrun told the outlet.
Macy’s did not comment on what merchandise the migrants stole but that all the goods were returned. Law enforcement charged the men with 3rd-degree grand larceny, Fox5 reported. They were reportedly tied to a South American thievery ring, Newsday noted. Meza received additional charges for traffic violations, the Fox5 mentioned.
The migrants showed up to court for a Jan. 10 initial appearance and were released without bail, the New York Post added.
Four migrants bused to NYC arrested for shoplifting $12k from Macy’s https://t.co/Ij4YZauLht pic.twitter.com/JmsiBi8rWF
— New York Post (@nypost) January 23, 2023
Meza reportedly crossed the U.S.-Mexico border July 4, 2022, and the rest of the men followed in September, the outlet reported. Both the Rojas had been living in a hotel in Manhatten, New York.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman stated that the country is in the midst of a “crisis at the border, and it has now migrated across the United States to the New York City metropolitan area,” according to New York Post. Democratic New York City Mayor made similar statements about the surge of migrants, saying the city has “no room” for illegal migrants. (RELATED: New York City Mayor Eric Adams Pressures Gov. Kathy Hochul To Push Migrants Upstate)
“Here in Nassau County, our police department is going to be vigilant in making sure that anybody who commits a crime is tracked down, caught and arrested,” Blakeman added.