Three suspects were arrested Monday in connection with 10 recent burglaries in Princeton Borough, including several at the University. Items stolen from residences and laboratories included laptop computers, credit cards and jewelry.
According to Borough Police, the three alleged perpetrators, Saul Eduardo Palma-Chajon, 22; Byron Diaz, 18; and a 16-year-old male, whose identity was withheld due to his age, are residents of the Borough and the Township. The three are suspected members of the street gang Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, whose visibility in the United States has risen in recent years.
Evidence recovered from four of the recent campus burglaries has been linked to the three men, Deputy Director of Public Safety Charles Davall told the Times of Trenton. Borough Police believe the suspects are connected to other incidents as well.
A string of burglaries, including one prank, swept campus earlier this month. Two laptops were stolen from an unlocked dorm in North Hall of Whitman College and personal items were taken from Forbes on two occasions. Another break-in occurred at Moffett Hall, resulting in two stolen computers. Three laptops taken from Lauritzen Hall as a prank were later returned.
Last week, Public Safety Director Steven Healy told The Daily Princetonian that the department had "reason to believe [the burglaries] may be connected" but said the crimes did not appear to be part of any abnormal surge in campus crime.
In August, a teenage member of the Bloods gang was arrested in the Township for burglary, among other charges. According to a 2005 study by the Times, half of the Mercer County towns that participated in the survey reported a gang presence, including Princeton Borough. The county estimates that 900 gang members operate in 23 distinct gangs within its borders.
Newsweek called MS-13 the "most dangerous gang in America," and the FBI described the gang as an "extremely violent, fast-spreading street gang that has tentacles in more than 40 U.S. states and 10 different nations across two continents."
Recruiting for MS-13 is increasing, Detective Juan Colon of New Jersey's street gang unit said in a 2006 interview with a local ABC affiliate. Colon said the Tri-State area has seen a surge in MS-13 membership, which has led to larger numbers of gang members settling in New Jersey.
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