NEWS RELEASE

Case 11-026638
Tuesday, June 14, 2011

At approximately 2:50 AM on June 14, 2011 Abington Officer Kirk Butler was checking businesses and noticed a suspicious white vehicle parked in the rear of Temple Beth Am Synagogue. As he approached the vehicle several males fled on foot and Officer Butler saw that they had stacked up several sets of vehicle wheels and tires. Officer Butler called for backup and later found that the wheels had been removed from vehicles at Faulkner Nissan, whose dealership is temporarily located next to the Synagogue while their main location is undergoing construction.

Jenkintown PD notified Abington PD that they had a suspect stopped at Old York Road and Maderia that fit the description of those seen fleeing Officer Butler. He was taken into custody without incident and identified as Jesus Manual RODRIGUEZ-ROMERO, age 19 of 1614 Longshore Avenue, Philadelphia. Other officers searched the area on foot and found the second suspect, Benggie MARRERO, age 19 of 4351 N. Franklin Street, Philadelphia hiding next to a house in the 1000 block of Huntingdon Road. He was also taken into custody without incident.

A check of Faulkner Nissan revealed that four 24" wheels and tires had been removed from a new Nissan Maxima and four 24" wheels and tires were removed from a pickup truck which was also on the Faulkner property. All wheels and tires were either already loaded into the suspects white vehicle or were stacked up next to it ready to be loaded. The total value of the wheels is approximately $10,000 and considerable damage was done to both vehicles when the suspects removed the wheels.

Both suspects are currently in custody at Abington PD awaiting arraignment. The investigation will continue to determine if they are involved in any of the other recent thefts of high-end wheels from vehicles parked on dealers’ lots that have occurred throughout the area recently.