Somerville, NJ – Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald, along with the chiefs of the Bernards Township and Hillsborough Township police departments, announced the arrest of Jose Cabanzo-Pena, 28, and Luis Eduardo Pena-Garzon, 32, both of Queens, NY, in connection with a series of motor vehicle burglaries across Somerset County, New Jersey.
On June 24, 2024, local law enforcement became aware of a vehicle linked to Cabanzo-Pena and Pena-Garzon as it entered Bernards Township and was located at Mountain Park. An investigation indicated that the two men had been targeting parks throughout the county for motor vehicle burglaries. Surveillance was initiated, and both suspects were observed walking in the park before departing in a 2011 GMC Acadia.
The ongoing investigation led to a traffic stop where both men were detained. A search of the vehicle, authorized by a Somerset County Superior Court search warrant, uncovered items from a recent burglary at Mountain Park, along with other evidence linking Cabanzo-Pena to additional burglaries and thefts in the area on May 10th and May 20th.
Cabanzo-Pena faces charges including third-degree burglary to a motor vehicle, third-degree fraudulent use of a credit card (three counts), third-degree theft by deception, fourth-degree credit card theft (three counts), and theft as a disorderly persons offense. Pena-Garzon has been charged with third-degree burglary to a motor vehicle, fourth-degree credit card theft, and theft as a disorderly persons offense.
Further charges were brought against the defendants by the Hillsborough Police Department for thefts at the Sourland Mountain Preserve, with Pena-Garzon facing three counts of theft by deception and Cabanzo-Pena facing two counts for incidents dating back to October and November 2023.
Both individuals are currently held at Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing. Additional hearings for charges from the Hillsborough Police Department are scheduled, where both will appear on summons.
