Their modus operandi was simple:
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Pick a car in a parking lot in broad daylight.
One person stands watch.
The other smashes a car window to gain access and takes anything of value.
It worked for a time, police said, but time ran out Monday night.
Police arrested two Lancaster brothers they say could be responsible for a slew of recent brazen thefts from vehicles in East Lampeter and Manheim townships.
East Lampeter police say they were on patrol at 7:10 p.m. Monday when Detective Joe Edgell saw Alexander Carrion-Ramos, 28, 536 E. Frederick St., and Erle Carrion-Cruz Jr. walking through the Kmart parking lot at the East Towne Mall.
Carrion-Cruz Jr. broke into a car while his brother stood nearby acting as a lookout, police said.
The brothers fled from the parking lot in a car. East Lampeter police pursued and were able to arrest both brothers at 35 S. Willowdale Drive in the Rockvale Outlets at 7:48 p.m.
East Lampeter police contacted the vehicle's owner, who confirmed that an MP3 player, wallet, cash and bank card had been stolen from the vehicle. The goods were valued at $160.
The two were taken into custody by police after a two-week joint investigation with Manheim Township Police Department involving numerous thefts from vehicles.
The brothers are likely to face many more charges, police said.
"We are considering filing at least half a dozen additional charges," East Lampeter police Sgt. Marlene Leighty said today. "We believe they were involved in more than a half dozen (incidents).
"We don't believe every (recent) theft of a vehicle will be linked to them," she said. "We believe there is more than one group of people."
Manheim Township police's investigation into the thefts from vehicles is still open, Sgt. Tom Rudzinski said today.
"We have identified suspects who may be involved in the thefts, however it is premature to speculate on how many incidents they may be involved in," he said.
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