PARSIPPANY — Four men were arrested after police used drones and a Morris County Sheriff’s Office K-9 to locate suspects hiding inside and on the roof of the former Tiffany & Co. building on Sylvan Way, a three-story commercial property where approximately $2 million in copper had recently been stolen, according to Parsippany-Troy Hills Police.
At approximately 12:40 a.m. on Saturday, October 31, Patrolman David Przybylo was conducting a property check at 15 Sylvan Way when he noticed a loading bay door was in a different position than it had been during an earlier check in his shift. Additional Parsippany officers were dispatched to the building, where investigators determined that an unknown number of people were either still inside or had recently left.
Because of the size of the building and the recent copper theft, police requested assistance from neighboring departments to establish a perimeter and search the property. Drone teams from the Parsippany Police Department, the Hanover Township Police Department and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office were deployed.
The Sylvan Way building historically functioned as an administrative, customer service and contact center, as well as a distribution and mail-order hub for Tiffany & Co., rather than a traditional public retail storefront. Operations from the Parsippany location have since transitioned to other regional facilities, including space in nearby Whippany.
Officers working with a Morris County Sheriff’s Office K-9 found one man hiding in a room inside the building and placed him under arrest. Drone operators then spotted three more men attempting to hide on the roof. The operators guided officers to the location and kept the suspects under aerial observation until all three were taken into custody.
Police identified the suspects as Lou James Munoz Espinoza, 22, of Paterson; Alemao Martin Cruzado-Castro, 34, of Paterson; Rafael Portugal, 18, of Paterson; and Joel Sandovar, 40, who police said is homeless.
All four were transported to Parsippany Police Headquarters, processed, and each charged on a warrant with:
- Third-Degree Burglary (N.J.S.A. 2C:18-2)
- Third-Degree Conspiracy to Commit Burglary (N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2)
- Third-Degree Criminal Attempt, Burglary (N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1)
- Possession of Burglary Tools, a disorderly persons offense (N.J.S.A. 2C:5-5)
The men were lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility pending their initial court appearances.
Police Chief Richard Pantina thanked the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Morris County Office of Emergency Management, Morris Plains Police Department, Boonton Township Police Department, Hanover Township Police Department, East Hanover Police Department, Parsippany Office of Emergency Management and Parsippany Rescue and Recovery for their assistance.
The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department at (973) 263-4300.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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