Immigration question raised in string of burglaries

MADISON — Three Texas men with possible immigration violations were arrested last week at a motel in Pearl for a string of home burglaries here and throughout the county.

Antonio Ortiz, 42, Riascos Genaro Cordoba, 38, and Alex Castillo-Valencia, all of Houston, have been charged with burglaries that occurred on Sept. 17 and Sept. 18 in Madison, Ridgeland and out in the county.

The burglary in Madison occurred in the Charlestown subdivision. In the county, a burglary occurred at Belle Terre subdivision. In Ridgeland, the burglaries occurred in Shadowood and Trace Ridge.

All three have been charged with house burglary and conspiracy to commit house burglary and were given $250,000 bond on each count.

Castillo-Valencia was also charged with giving police a false name. After police identified him, they found he was wanted on a third-degree burglary charge in Des Moines, Iowa.

"Investigators began following up on information developed during the course of the investigation which led officers to a motel in the City of Pearl," Madison Police stated in a release. "Investigators were able to detain three individuals and recover several items believed to be stolen in the recent burglaries along with burglary tools used during the commission of the crimes.

"Items recovered included several thousand dollars in U. S. currency, assorted jewelry, burglary tools and two-way radios," the release continued. "At the current time investigators from the involved agencies are continuing to process items of evidence to determine the exact origin of the stolen items."

Police said they contacted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as well "due to potential immigration violations."