Police Say Arrests Clear Farmington Break-Ins

FARMINGTON — Farmington police will be able to close at least 33 cases of vehicle breakins over a period of about two years with the arrest of two young men by Fayetteville Police Department, according to Detective William Redfern with Farmington.

Fayetteville police arrested Bradley Sears, 18, and Daniel Ibanez, 18, both of 2750 Club Drive, Apt. 11 in Fayetteville, on Feb. 12 in connection with two counts of breaking or entering and theft of property, both felonies, according to a department news release.

Both suspects attend Prairie Grove High School, according to school officials.

Fayetteville police have linked the two to more than 100 vehicle break-ins over the past four months.

Farmington police first arrested Sears on Jan. 18 and charged him with theft by receiving, a misdemeanor. Redfern said Sears had sold a stolen iPod to Game X Change in Fayetteville. Sears admitted to Redfern that he had been in possession of the iPod but did not admit to stealing it.

“I was certain he was involved in more,” Redfern said.

When Fayetteville called about their cases, Redfern passed along Sears’ name and address, saying the young man might be involved in Fayetteville’s break-ins.

After watching Sears’ apartment overnight, Fayetteville police confronted Sears and Ibanez as they approached the apartment about 5 a.m., Feb. 12, a Fayetteville news release stated. Ibanez turned over a backpack he was carrying and police found two loaded handguns and prescription pill bottle inside, the report said.

Police interviewed the pair at the police department and both confessed to committing at least 100 incidents of breaking or entering in local subdivisions, the report said.

Police learned stolen property was being stored in two vehicles and in an apartment. The men gave consent to search these locations and police recovered more than $ 7,500 in stolen property, including electronics, a guitar, gift cards, clothing and more handguns.

Redfern said a lot of the stolen property recovered by Fayetteville is from vehicle break-ins in Farmington. He has contacted Farmington victims and asked them to go to Fayetteville to identify their property.

In Farmington, most of the vehicle break-ins occurred in Valley View subdivision around the golf course and along Broy les Street. In many cases, the suspects smashed car windows to get into vehicles. In some cases, the vehicles were left unlocked.

Items stolen in Farmington included car speakers, computers and sunglasses.

According to the Washington County Prosecuting Attorney’s office, both men will be arraigned on the felony charges March 14 at Washington County Detention Center. Sears will be arraigned on the local charge, theft by receiving, on March 16 in District Court in Farmington.

Ibanez

Sears