Two men sentenced for their roles in seven burglaries, including two in Natick
WOBURN — Two men who authorities say were involved in a three-month crime wave two years ago were sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to their roles in seven burglaries, including two in Natick.
Both Gabriel Estuardo Rojas, 28, of Methuen, and Manuel Jose Lopez, 24, of Lawrence, were sentenced to several years in prison.
They each pleaded guilty to seven burglaries in Massachusetts and still face charges for several more in New Hampshire.
According to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the incidents occurred between Nov. 22, 2019 and Jan. 27, 2020.
Authorities said the two men burglarized two homes in Natick on the afternoon of Jan. 27, 2020. The first occurred on Whispering Lane, where they smashed a rear-sliding glass door and stole more than $1,200 worth of property.
The second incident occurred on Aqueduct Road. In that burglary, the pair stole more than $15,000 worth of designer clothes, shoes, gold jewelry, gift cards and cash, authorities said.
The 15-month investigation began in December 2019 when detectives in Pelham, New Hampshire, responded to a burglary. The suspects had fled into a wooded area, but the information was shared with other communities that had several break-ins that were similar.
The investigation included the U.S. Secret Service, New Hampshire and Massachusetts State Police and more than a dozen municipal police departments in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, including Natick, Needham, Newton, Waltham, Wellesley and Weston.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, investigators were able to locate several surveillance videos and other records, including cellphone records, that linked the two men to the burglaries. Police served search warrants on their homes and found stolen clothing, tools and a rented SUV believed to be used in the incident.
In July 2000, authorities served a search warrant at a storage unit in Tyngsborough rented by both men. The storage unit contained three stolen motorcycles, $5,000 worth of stolen tools and other items believed to be stolen, the District Attorney’s Office said.
During a hearing Tuesday in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn, Rojas pleaded guilty to four counts of unarmed burglary; three counts of breaking and entering into a building in the daytime; breaking and entering into a motor vehicle in the nighttime with intent to commit a felony; two counts of receiving stolen property worth more than $1,200; receiving stolen property; possession of tools often used in burglaries; and conspiracy. He was sentenced to five to seven years in state prison, followed by two years of probation.
Lopez pleaded guilty to three counts of unarmed burglary; breaking and entering into a building in the daytime; two counts of receiving stolen property worth more than $1,200; receiving stolen property; possession of tools often used in burglaries; and conspiracy. He was sentenced to three to four years in state prison, followed by two years of probation.
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Two men sentenced for their roles in seven burglaries, including two in Natick
