3 arrested after breaking into Flint-area pawn shop and stealing several guns

GENESEE COUNTY, MI – Two juveniles and a man face federal charges after breaking into a Flint-area pawn shop and stealing several weapons.

Two pawn shops were broken into in the Flint area, one on November 10, 2024, and the other on December 3, 2024.

The three suspects are charged with theft from a federally licensed firearms dealer and multiple counts of possession of stolen firearms.

The first theft from a pawn shop

On November 10, 2024, around 2:30 a.m., a pawn shop in Flint Township, which is a federally licensed firearms dealer, was broken into.

According to the police, three unknown suspects in dark jackets with hoods pulled up approached the store. The first suspect started hitting the front glass door with a sledgehammer.

The first suspect entered the store through a broken glass door and began banging on the metal security gate in the shape of an accordion. Then the second and third suspects entered the store.

Once all three were inside the store, the first suspect continued to pound on the metal security gate. This forced the first suspect to break the second and final glass door to get to where the merchandise was located.

The first and second suspects went behind the counter to remove four guns from the wall while the third suspect stood outside to watch.

The two suspects throw their weapons through the security gate and climb out. The third suspect took two guns and fled the store. The first and second suspects soon followed, fleeing with the remains of the stolen weapon.

The second theft from a pawn shop

The second pawn shop in Flint was broken into on December 3, 2024.

Police reviewed the video and saw three suspects wearing dark coats with hoods pulled up, masks and gloves breaking into the business around 3 a.m.

The first suspect, seen in the footage, threw a rock at the front glass door. The second suspect also started hitting the glass.

The second and third suspects were able to enter the store and steal several handguns before leaving the store.

The owner of the pawnshop told the police that six guns were stolen from the store.

The driver of the suspects

The law enforcement officers appealed to the residents of the district of the second pawnshop with a request to provide any video recordings.

A small white SUV parked near the enterprise was recorded on the surveillance video of one of the residents. The three suspects got out of the car, while the driver remained inside. The three suspects then went to the pawn shop. A few minutes later, the same three suspects returned to the SUV with weapons. They got into the car, and she drove off.

The police identified the driver of the SUV, but her name was not listed in the report. The woman admitted that she drove the suspect to the pawn shop and back on December 3, 2024. She explained that her friend had asked her to drive some people from a townhouse in Flint to pick up three people. She claimed that she did not know their names, but only knew them from a friend.

She also said she drove the three suspects to an alley and parked. That’s when the three suspects got out of the car and ran back with guns. While in her car, the suspects looked at the guns and were upset because many of them were hunting guns. The driver told police the suspects didn’t know how much they could sell them for, but were going to try to get rid of them.

The driver initially told police that one of the suspects asked her to drive them to a location on White Street in Flint, where the suspects then got out of the car and took the stolen guns with them.

When police asked the driver what the suspects looked like, she said she didn’t know their names but could recognize them.

Searches at the homes of the suspects

A federal search warrant was obtained and executed on December 3, 2024, shortly before 3:00 p.m. at a home on White Street where police learned that two juveniles and Alejandro Domingo Castanon were in the home.

Law enforcement officers continued communication with the driver regarding the second theft. During the conversation with her, the police showed the photos of the three suspects and confirmed that it was they who probably committed the theft. As a result, the police detained two minors and Castanon.

After further talking with the driver, she told police she picked up one juvenile and Castanon from a home on Tout Drive in Flint, then was told to pick up another juvenile at a home on White Street before dropping them off at the pawn shop.

Surrender to the police

During the investigation, police spoke to the two juveniles and Castanon separately.

Both minors admitted that on December 3, the woman took them, including Castanon, to a pawn shop and stole several firearms.

During the conversation with one minor, he admitted that on November 10, the three of them broke into the first pawn shop and stole firearms.

Castanon also admitted to the police that he broke into two pawn shops, one on November 10 and the other on December 3.