Florida men arrested in Merchant’s Grocery burglary

Ramon Izquierdo, 57, of Hialeah, Florida and Alberto Rico Perez, 31, of Miami Gardens, Florida, face charges of burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary and two counts of grand larceny in the incident, according to a release Monday from Culpeper Police.

The burglary is believed to have occurred around 9 p.m. and was reported the following day by a Merchant’s employee, according to an earlier release.

An undisclosed amount of cigarette cartons were stolen, along with Penske rental truck.

Police initially reported five suspects had forced entry into the business on Maddox Drive and fled in the box truck, last seen going eastbound on State Route 3 around 2 a.m. on March 24.

The investigation was assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, with law enforcement agencies in New Jersey, New York, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. The partnerships also led to the recovery of the vehicle stolen during the initial incident, the release stated.

On May 3, the City of Doral Police Department and Miami Dade County Fugitive Task Force Warrant Division took Izquierdo and Rico Perez into custody. Both are being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center pending extradition to Virginia.

“The actions these criminals took in our town had a significant impact on the local business community,” said Chief C. Settle. “Utilizing emerging technology and dogged investigative determination, our detectives and analyst worked tirelessly with law enforcement agencies and federal partners along the entire East Coast.”

Detectives continue to investigate additional evidence and persons of interest, according to the release, and additional charges may be filed.

Anyone with information is asked to contact MPO Det. M. Hays at 540/829-5508 or [email protected]. Submit anonymous tips to Culpeper Crime Solvers at 540/727-0300 or to culpeperpd.org.