Northwest Indiana Discussion

15-year-old, arrested 14 times, eyed in 25 more burglaries
25 burglaries: cops

By LARRY CELONA and JOE MOLLICA

Last Updated: 11:06 AM, October 12, 2009

Posted: 4:11 AM, October 12, 2009
A baby-faced, 15-year-old burglar with more than a dozen busts already under his belt is being eyed as an Oliver Twist-like thief who ransacked up to 25 more apartments, mostly in the West Village, The Post has learned.



Juan Gonzalez was arrested Friday night in Queens -- toting along his 13-year-old brother, authorities said. They were caught red-handed in Richmond Hill, a police source said.


The 150-pound, 5-foot-7 Gonzalez was nailed for that robbery and 11 others in the same precinct, the source said. Add that to two previous busts, and he's up to 14 arrests.

But authorities also are eyeing Gonzalez in 25 more burglaries.

"He took whatever he could sell," a source said.

It isn't just his recent burglary rap sheet that's stunning. Detectives said his first arrest was in 2005, when he was 11. His next followed in 2008.

Relatives told The Post that the youngster spent six months in detention.

"Instead of going to school, he learned how to be a burglar," said Juan's stepgrandfather, José Vasquez, 56.

"Juan said they did all these burglaries for someone else, and the other guy would sell all these laptops they took and sell them," Vasquez said.

They said he now brings his younger brother along for the ride.

Grandmother Gladys Gonzalez, 59, blamed the bad company her grandsons have kept.

"I chased one of these guys away with a knife once," the grandmother said of an alleged "fence."

The last time his grandmother saw Juan was two weeks ago, when he asked to borrow $40, relatives said.

"Juan lives on the street now," Vasquez said. "He calls me on the phone, and says, 'I'm OK. I love you,' and hangs up."

"I can't take all the sad stuff anymore," Gladys Gonzalez said. "I hope they can turn their lives around."

A baby-faced, 15-year-old burglar with more than a dozen busts already under his belt is being eyed as an Oliver Twist-like thief who ransacked up to 25 more apartments, mostly in the West Village, The Post has learned.

Juan Gonzalez was arrested Friday night in Queens -- toting along his 13-year-old brother, authorities said. They were caught red-handed in Richmond Hill, a police source said.

The 150-pound, 5-foot-7 Gonzalez was nailed for that robbery and 11 others in the same precinct, the source said. Add that to two previous busts, and he's up to 14 arrests.


But authorities also are eyeing Gonzalez in 25 more burglaries.

"He took whatever he could sell," a source said.

It isn't just his recent burglary rap sheet that's stunning. Detectives said his first arrest was in 2005, when he was 11. His next followed in 2008.

Relatives told The Post that the youngster spent six months in detention.

"Instead of going to school, he learned how to be a burglar," said Juan's stepgrandfather, José Vasquez, 56.

"Juan said they did all these burglaries for someone else, and the other guy would sell all these laptops they took and sell them," Vasquez said.

They said he now brings his younger brother along for the ride.

Grandmother Gladys Gonzalez, 59, blamed the bad company her grandsons have kept.

"I chased one of these guys away with a knife once," the grandmother said of an alleged "fence."

The last time his grandmother saw Juan was two weeks ago, when he asked to borrow $40, relatives said.

"Juan lives on the street now," Vasquez said. "He calls me on the phone, and says, 'I'm OK. I love you,' and hangs up."

"I can't take all the sad stuff anymore," Gladys Gonzalez said. "I hope they can turn their lives around."