Nov 20, 2018 2 min read Borough Park

Dyker Heights Man Charged With Six Burglaries in Borough Park, Including Two Synagogues

Defendant was captured on Video Surveillance at each crime scene, Brooklyn DA’s Office says.

BORO PARK / DYKER HEIGHTS – A Dyker Heights man has been charged in six burglaries that took place across Borough Park in September and October, and included theft of religious items from a Synagogue.

Charles Cajigas, 50, was arraigned yesterday before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice William Miller and charged with third-degree burglary, fourth-degree grand larceny, petit larceny, criminal trespass and other charges, and ordered held on $75,000 bail, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzales said in a statement.

“This defendant is allegedly a professional burglar whose crime spree violated the sanctity of religious institutions, among other places, from which he stole cash and religious items. We will now seek to hold him accountable,” Gonzales added.

The District Attorney said that following the investigation, Cajigas was charged in the following incidents:

On September 15, at approximately 1:30 a.m. – burglary of a commercial establishment at 4520 18 Avenue.
On September 25, 2018, at approximately 1:30 a.m. – burglary of the Kedishas Aharon Synagogue located at 1350 39^th Street, theft of two silver crowns used in religious services
On September 25, 2018, at approximately 2:20 a.m. – burglary of a commercial establishment at 4605 13^th Avenue
On October 7, 2018, at approximately 1:22 a.m. – burglary of Gan Yisroel School, located at 3909 15^th Avenue.
On October 8, 2018, at approximately 4:20 a.m. – burglary of the Seret Wiznitz Synagogue, located at 4811 13^th Avenue.
On October 21, 2018, at approximately 4:25 a.m. – burglary of a commercial establishment at 4724 18^th Avenue.

Charles Cajigas was identified as a possible suspect by theNew York City Police Department’s Facial Recognition Program (a rather controversial program that NYPD may have been abusing). This led to his arrest on October 23, 2018. He allegedly told the police where the religious items could be located:

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Krystyn Tendy, of the District Attorney’s Grey Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Danielle Eaddy, Bureau Chief.