NEW ROCHELLE, NY (March 19, 2025) — A 25-year-old New York City man was arrested early Saturday after police say he shattered a storefront window with a rock and broke into a business on North Avenue, capping a string of commercial burglaries in New Rochelle.
New Rochelle Police responded to a burglar alarm at 212 North Avenue around 4:50 a.m. on March 15, 2025. Officers arrived to find the front window smashed and quickly zeroed in on a suspect, Marcos Veloz, through investigative leads. When stopped nearby, Veloz was allegedly carrying a prybar, hatchet, and mallet—tools that matched the forced entry at the scene. He was taken into custody without a struggle.
As detectives dug deeper, they connected Veloz to a similar burglary three days earlier on March 12 at a Main Street business, where entry was also gained through brute force. Police say the two incidents share a clear pattern, and evidence conclusively ties Veloz to both crimes.
Veloz, a resident of New York, NY, now faces two counts each of burglary in the third degree, a Class D felony, and criminal mischief in the third degree, a Class E felony, along with a misdemeanor charge for possession of burglar tools. The swift police response likely prevented additional break-ins, authorities said.
The New Rochelle Police Department is asking anyone with information about the burglaries to call (914) 654-2300 or submit anonymous tips at 914-632-COPS.
Investigators have not yet disclosed a motive behind Veloz’s alleged crime spree, but the arrests bring relief to local business owners rattled by the early-morning break-ins.