Man Arrested for Burglarizing St. Croix Auto Repair Shop Where He Sought Job

After inquiring about employment, Jose Lopez Velasquez Jr. was later caught on surveillance footage breaking into the business, stealing items worth thousands, and admitting to selling the stolen goods for $40

ST. CROIX — A man who enquired about a job at an automotive repair shop was later arrested for burglarizing his prospective workplace.‌ According to court documents, on the morning of September 7, police were summoned to a business establishment in Estate Friedansthal to investigate a reported burglary. Responding officers spoke to the owner of the business, who said that he had closed up shop around 6:30 p.m. the previous evening. When he returned around 9:30 a.m., he found the office door closed, but unlocked.‌

The office itself had been ransacked, the owner said; papers lay disorganized on his desk, and cabinet doors and drawers around the office stood open. The garage bay also appeared to have been rifled through. The business owner told police that two laptops were missing – a value of $6000. Later on, the man amended his tally of stolen items to include an impact drill and impact gun as well.