By Bob Morgan
Staff Writer

FOLEY — Two Hispanic subjects, who appear to be undocumented aliens from Mexico, were arrested this week in connection with a string of burglaries in the county.

Jose Castelo, 27, and Elizabeth Hernandez, 23, were arrested Monday by investigators from the Robertsdale, Foley and Fairhope police departments. The arrests occurred at the suspects’ residence in the Magnolia Springs area.

Lt. David White, lead investigator for the Foley Police Department, said Castelo and Hernandez are husband and wife.

According to White, on Monday Sgt. Rex Bishop of the Robertsdale Police Department notified Foley police that a laptop computer stolen from a victim in Foley had turned up.

“They set up to purchase another laptop from the person,” White said. The second laptop proved to be stolen as well.

A Fairhope Police Department press release issued Wednesday on the arrests noted that Bishop was contacted about the first laptop when a Hispanic male at a local business was trying to get the laptop serviced. The Hispanic male claimed he had bought the laptop from an acquaintance.

At that point, Bishop, Investigator Tony Nelson of Foley Police Department and Detective Stephanie Hollinghead of the Fairhope Police Department went to the home of the acquaintance who had sold the computer.

White described the location as being off of Baldwin County Road 49 and south of County Road 12. There investigators recovered items from numerous burglaries across Baldwin County. At that point, Castelo and Hernandez were arrested by Foley police and charged with burglary.

The couple eventually confessed to four burglaries in Fairhope, two in Foley, two in the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction, and two in Escambia County, Fla., White said.

“(On Wednesday) both subjects confessed to knowing where more (stolen) property was,” said White, who noted Castelo and Hernandez have admitted to walking into the Pensacola Regional Airport and taking people’s bags and walking out with them.

A couple of guns were also recovered at the house where the couple lived, White said.

The Fairhope Police Department release said crimes in that city this year that allegedly involve Castelo and Hernandez occurred as follows: July 19, a residential burglary in the 9000 Block of Windmill Road; August 2, a residential burglary in the 100 Block of Cypress Lane; August 12, a residential burglary in the 100 Block of Oakwood Drive; August 12, a residential burglary in the 19000 Block of Fairfax Drive; August 12, a residential burglary in the 100 Block of Pemberton Loop.

The release puts the value of stolen property from the Fairhope burglaries alone at approximately $14,000. That includes approximately $2,500 in currency, jewelry valued at approximately $7,000, a guitar, cameras, computers, firearms, and prescription medication.

According to the release, each of the Fairhope burglaries occurred during the day when occupants were not at home. In each case a “pry tool” was used to open a window or door at the rear of the residences. In two of the burglaries neighbors reported afterwards that a Hispanic female was in the area possibly serving as a lookout.

Castelo and Hernandez remained in the Baldwin County Corrections Center as of Thursday afternoon. He is charged with first-degree receiving stolen and two counts of second-degree receiving stolen property. His bond total is $17,500. She is charged with two counts of third-degree burglary and has a total bond of $10,000.

A Corrections Center spokeswoman said jail officials are waiting to hear from Immigration in connection with Hernandez.

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