Police have arrested two men accused of multiple burglaries last month at businesses, including Shorty’s Diner, in the Williamsburg area of York County, an official said Tuesday .
Dominick J. Jones, a 19-year-old, and Julio C. Rodriquez, a 20-year-old, both believed to be from Williamsburg were taken into custody last Friday and Sunday, respectively, according to Lt. Dennis Ivey, York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office.
Both are charged with burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary, in connection to a break-in at Shorty’s Diner in the James-York Plaza on Merrimac Trail. The break-in happened during the early morning hours on April 10, according to a York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office police report.
Rodriquez also faces additional counts of grand larceny in connection to stealing a cell phone from the Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant, plus another count of burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary at the Smoker’s Express at James-York Plaza, which police believed happen March 29, according to Ivey.
He also faces counts of damaging property at the AutoZone and for defacing the wall of the building at James-York Plaza and for also damaging a back hoe.
Jones, on the other hand, faces additional counts of burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary in connection to other incidents occurring at the DAV Thrift Stores in Williamsburg, between April 17 and 25, plus another charge of grand larceny and burglary for an incident occurring on April 17.
The same two subjects have been accused and charged in a series of business burglaries in Williamsburg, according to Maj Greg Riley, Williamsburg Police Department.
Police have identified Jones and Rodriguez and they each face three counts of burglary, grand larceny, conspiracy to commit a felony and destruction of property in Williamsburg for an incident occurring at a business in the 900 block of Capitol Landing Road, and a May 2 break-in at a business in the 900 block of Capitol Landing Road, as well as in the 100 block of Second Street.
Both subjects were served at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail where they were already in custody for unrelated charges from other jurisdictions, Riley said.
Last month, vandals allegedly broke into Shorty’s restaurant in middle of the night on April 10, gaining entry through the back, according to a York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office police report.
They destroyed restaurant’s video monitoring system, ransacking the office and cash registers.
Burglars clipped the wires upon entry to dismantle the exterior cameras, according to owner Gil Short. Once inside, they ran screwdrivers through the receipt machine, used to ring up sales, and destroyed the surveillance cameras and computer system.
Short said he estimated $20,000 in damages to the restaurant’s equipment, including the point-of-sale machine, the computers and having the graffiti removed.
Jones is scheduled to appear in York General District Court on June 12.
Court dates for Rodriquez are unknown at this time.
WYDaily archives were used in this report.
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