"A man accused of breaking into the homes of Seattle-area celebrities, including baseball Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki and hip-hop artist Macklemore, and pepper-spraying people he encountered inside pleaded not guilty Monday to multiple charges. Patrick Maisonet, 29, was arrested at his home in on Aug. 21 in connection with another burglary, to which he has pleaded not guilty, and has been held on bail totaling more than $2 million."
"Investigators say surveillance images and cellphone data helped link him to the break-ins, and that some of the precious items taken during the heists including Macklemore's Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders championship rings were later recovered from a south Seattle jewelry store. The break-ins mirrored a slew of burglaries at the homes of well-known professional athletes across the U.S. in recent months."
"The players have been targeted because of the high-end products believed to be in their homes and sometimes the thefts happen when they are away with their teams for road games. The FBI has warned sports leagues about crime organizations targeting professional athletes. The NFL and NBA have also issued security alerts after burglaries at the homes of such star athletes as Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Seven people were charged in connection with those burglaries in February."
"In the Seattle area, another man, Earl Henderson Riley IV, was previously arrested in some of the same break-ins Maisonet has been charged in. Police said Maisonet sometimes carried digital frequency jammers to disable cellphone calls including to 911. The athletes targeted included Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo, whose home was hit twice; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell, who is from Washington; and former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. Snell had two Rolex watches stolen, each worth $75,000. Sherman also had a Rolex taken."
Patrick Maisonet, 29, pleaded not guilty to charges after authorities linked him to burglaries and pepper-spraying incidents at Seattle-area celebrities' homes. He was arrested Aug. 21 in another burglary and held on over $2 million bail. Investigators used surveillance images and cellphone data to connect him to the break-ins. Stolen items, including Macklemore's Seahawks and Sounders championship rings, were recovered from a south Seattle jewelry store. The incidents mirror a nationwide wave of burglaries targeting professional athletes for high-end goods, prompting FBI alerts and NFL and NBA security warnings. Police allege Maisonet sometimes used digital frequency jammers to disable cellphone calls, including 911.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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