Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 5, 2024
Three Suspects Held Without Bond in Jewelry Store Break-In
Three men have been held without bond in connection to a sprawling multistate, multimillion-dollar jewelry theft ring.
During an August 5 hearing before Zanesville Municipal Court Judge Andrew Joseph, Muskingum Couty Prosecutor Ron Welch requested the suspects, Reyes Flores Higuera, Pedro Garcia, and Rafael Flores Hernandez, be held without bond.
Being held without bond is not a common occurrence and is sought only under certain circumstances.
Welch provided the court with significant details supporting the no-bond request. Welch explained to the court that, in the early morning hours of August 1, the three men broke into a local jewelry store and smashed display cases containing more than $170,000 in jewelry.
Law enforcement officers from the Zanesville Police Department and Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office, working in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies, had been tracking the defendants’ movements for approximately two weeks prior to the crime and were prepared when the thieves struck, allowing the criminals to be caught red-handed as they were scraping the jewelry into black bins they had brought along with them.
Information obtained during the investigation revealed the three men had embarked on a multistate crime spree targeting jewelry stores. The men are suspects in more than twenty similar jewelry store thefts throughout the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. The total value of jewelry stolen exceeds $3 million.
Criminal records show all three suspects have prior involvement with law enforcement, and used various fake names and dates of birth.
Records also indicate Higuera and Hernandez are both in the United States as illegal aliens and have both previously been subject to deportation.
Prosecutor Welch says stopping the multimillion-dollar jewel thieves was a team effort.
“Credit to Zanesville Police Department and the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office for their efforts making these arrests,” Prosecutor Welch said. “Our local agencies worked together with other law enforcement agencies outside of our area, resulting in the arrest of dangerous and violent individuals. It’s a great example of teamwork from all agencies involved.”
The three men are scheduled to have their case presented to a grand jury at a later date.
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