WOBURN – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced that Juan Castano, 32, of New York pleaded guilty this week to a series of ten housebreaks across Newton, Wellesley, Andover, and Quincy. The breaks targeted homes belonging to Asian or South Asian families.
“Juan Castano chose homes to break into based specifically on the ethnicity of the residents. He specifically came to Massachusetts from the New York area to commit these crimes. His plan not only violated the victims’ sense of safety, but, in one instance, he created a physical threat for the family, including children, who were at home during the break,” said District Attorney Ryan. “This case is an example of a frightening trend of targeted breaks. However, it also illustrates that we are committed to working collaboratively across agencies and multiple counties, if necessary, to hold those accountable who are organizing these complex criminal schemes.”
Between June and July of 2021, ten homes were broken into, four in Newton, four in Quincy, one in Wellesley and one in Andover. During these housebreaks approximately $200,000 worth of property was stolen, including currency, designer watches, jewelry and a handgun. The investigation into the breaks revealed that Castano initially scouted residences by carrying a clipboard and approaching the front door. The perpetrators then broke windows or glass doors to gain entry to the homes, ransacked them and left with valuables. On one occasion, in Quincy, the perpetrator was interrupted as he attempted to climb through a window at night into a house where the family, including a child, was at home.
Geolocation and cell tower data obtained pursuant to search warrants revealed that the same Google account holder/ phone subscribers were appearing at the location of all of the breaks. Investigators ultimately identified Castano as the user of an account on site at each of the breaks. That data revealed that Castano, a resident of the New York/New Jersey area, was making trips to Massachusetts, facilitated with the help of another individual identified as Wendy Reyes, for the purpose of breaking into homes.
In total, Castro plead guilty to twenty-one indictments. Castano was sentenced by Justice Patrick Haggan to 4-5 years in State Prison as a Common and Notorious Thief. That sentence will run consecutively with a 5.5 to 11 year sentence he is presently serving in New York state for similar conduct. Castano was additionally sentenced to a three-year term of probation on an additional twenty counts charging Unarmed Burglary, Breaking and Entering, Larcenies in Buildings, Larceny of a Firearm and Attempted Breaking and Entering. The probation will begin when he completes his incarcerations in New York, followed by Massachusetts. Castano was brought back to Massachusetts to answer on these indictments under the Interstate Agreement on Detainers while serving his New York sentence.
Castano’s co-defendant, Wendy Reyes, is scheduled for trial on April 14, 2025.
The prosecutor assigned to the case is Andrew Ineson. The investigation into this matter was conducted by the Newton Police, Wellesley Police, Andover Police, Quincy Police and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the New England State Police Information Network.
