Six Romanian women have been arrested after breaking into a home in Norwood, Massachusetts. The women are relatives and part of a criminal organization operating in several American states. They were arrested by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Boston.
Norwood police intervened on Friday, July 25, following a report of a break-in at a house on Neponset Street. The homeowners had just left for a camping trip but returned because one of the children had forgotten a doll and found the intruders in their home, as reported by NBC Boston.
The women fled in a waiting car, and an officer spotted a vehicle matching the description of the one used by the suspects. The officer tried to stop the car, but the driver did not comply, prompting a pursuit.
The women then exited the car in a parking lot off Route 1 and fled into a nearby wooded area, where the police arrested one of them, then caught the others. Two of them were arrested while attempting to cross a river, as reported by CBS News.
Norwood police stated that Mirabela Căldărău, 42 years old, Jajela Chiciu (41 years old), Flavia Căldărău (22 years old), Emilia Sardaru (36 years old), Michaela Ion (33 years old), and Elizabeth Sardaru (21 years old), all residing in Maryland, have been detained.
They have been charged with daytime breaking and entering, conspiracy, possession of burglary tools, and resisting arrest.
Two women had altered fingerprints
During interrogation, the police discovered that two of the women had altered fingerprints, initially hindering their identification.
The police collaborated with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to identify them. All six have addresses in Maryland, and some had active arrest warrants from other states for similar offenses, according to the police.
The women were indicted on Monday at Dedham District Court, where bail was set at $5,000 each, as reported by Boston.com.
"All six suspects were detained without bail and transported to Dedham District Court for indictment on Monday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was notified and was present in court. Three of the six were released on bail and immediately taken into ICE custody. Two men who arrived at court to pay bail were also taken into ICE custody. Three suspects remain detained at this time," the Norwood police stated in a release.
The reason why the group targeted that particular house is unknown, but the police say the women are part of an organized crime network targeting multiple states.
Neighbors believe the women saw the family packing and leaving and may have been in the area a week prior. The house they broke into was unlocked.
All individuals involved are related, the police specified.
Strong reaction from Homeland Security
"This burglary ring will no longer be able to victimize American citizens. These illegal immigrant criminals should never have been allowed to roam the streets of Massachusetts to steal from Americans - and under President Trump's and Secretary Noem's leadership, they will no longer be able to do so," stated Tricia McLaughlin, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, according to a Homeland Security statement.
The women are scheduled to appear in court again on September 12 for hearings.
The case is still under investigation, and Norwood detectives are collaborating with other law enforcement agencies to investigate related crimes, as conveyed by the Norwood police.