GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. – Two juveniles and one man are facing federal charges for breaking into Flint area pawn shops and stealing multiple guns.
Two pawn shops were broken into in the Flint area—one on Nov. 10, 2024, and the other on Dec. 3, 2024.
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The three suspects face charges of Theft from a Federally Licensed Firearm Dealer and multiple charges of Possession of Stolen Firearms.
First pawn shop burglary
A pawn shop in Flint Township, a licensed federal firearms dealer, was broken into at around 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 10, 2024.
According to police, three unidentified suspects wearing dark coats with hoods pulled up approached the store. The first suspect began striking the front glass door with a sledgehammer.
The first suspect entered the store through the broken glass door and began hitting the metal accordion-style security gate. The second and third suspects then entered the store.
After all three were inside the store, the first suspect continued to hit the metal security gate. This led the first suspect to break the second and final glass door to get to where the merchandise was located.
The first and second suspects went behind the counter to take four guns off the display wall, and the third suspect stood outside as a lookout.
The two suspects throw the guns over the security gate and climb out. The third suspect picked up two of the guns and ran away from the store. The first and second suspects shortly followed, running away with the remaining stolen guns.
Second pawn shop burglary
A second pawn shop in Flint was broken into on Dec. 3, 2024.
Police reviewed security footage and saw three suspects wearing dark coats with hoods pulled up, masks and gloves break into the business at around 3 a.m.
The first suspect seen in the footage struck the front glass door with a rock. The second suspect also began striking the glass.
The second and third suspects were able to get into the store and steal several guns before exiting the store.
The owner of the pawn shop told police six guns were stolen from the store.
Driver of the suspects
Police asked residents in the area of the second pawn shop for any security footage.
Footage from one resident’s security camera captured a small white SUV parked near the business. The three suspects exited the car, with the driver remaining inside. The three suspects then walked toward the pawn shop. Several minutes later, the same three suspects came back to the SUV carrying long guns. They entered the car, and it left.
Police identified the driver of the SUV, but her name was not provided in the affidavit. The woman admitted she drove the suspect to and from the pawn shop on Dec. 3, 2024. She explained that a friend of hers asked her to give some people a ride from a townhome in Flint to pick up three people. She claimed she did not know their names but only knew them from a friend.
She also said she drove the three suspects to a side street and parked. That’s when the three suspects exited the car and came running back with guns. While inside her car, the suspects were looking at the rifles and were upset since many were hunting rifles. The driver told police the suspects were unsure how much they could sell them for but were going to try and get rid of them.
The driver initially told police one of the suspects asked her to drive them to a place on White Street in Flint—where the suspects then exited the car and took the stolen guns with them.
When police asked the driver what the suspects looked like, she said she did not know their names but could identify them.
Searching suspects’ homes
A federal search warrant was obtained and conducted on Dec. 3, 2024, just before 3 p.m. at the home on White Street, where police learned two juveniles and Alejandro Domingo Castanon were inside the home.
Police continued to talk to the driver regarding the second burglary. While speaking to her, police showed photos of the three suspects and confirmed they were the three that allegedly committed the burglary. As a result, police arrested the two juveniles and Castanon.
After further interviewing with the driver, she told police she picked up one juvenile and Castanon from a home on Tout Drive in Flint and then was told to pick up the other juvenile at the home on White Street before dropping them off at the pawn shop.
Admitting to police
During the investigation, police spoke to the two juveniles and Castanon separately.
Both of the juveniles admitted that a woman drove them, including Castanon, to the pawn shop on Dec. 3 and stole several firearms.
During the interview with one juvenile, he admitted that the three of them broke in and stole firearms from the first pawn shop on Nov. 10.
Castanon also admitted to police for breaking into two pawn shops, one on Nov. 10 and the other on Dec. 3.
