Brooklyn Man Arrested in Forest Hills Burglary

A 28-year-old Brooklyn man has been charged in a series of Queens burglaries, including one in Forest Hills, the Queens district attorney said.

Mario Girau, who lives on Jamaica Avenue in Brooklyn, has been accused of breaking into 11 homes in Forest Hills, Howard Beach, Ridgewood Ozone Park and South Ozone Park, Queens DA Richard Brown said.

The defendant allegedly stole thousands of dollars in jewelry, cameras, computer equipment and other items.

“People’s homes are their sanctuaries and this defendant is alleged to have crossed a very serious line in entering those homes and stealing personal and valuable items,” Brown said.

Girau was previously charged in September in connection with a burglary on Tahoe Street in Ozone Park. On Wednesday, he was charged in connection with nine other incidents that took place this year and another in 2011.

He has been arraigned on charges of burglary, criminal possession of stolen property and criminal possession of a weapon.

If convicted, he faces 150 years in prison, the DA said.

According to the criminal complaint, the defendant allegedly broke into 10 homes between Sept. 12, 2001 and Sept. 13, 2013 and stole jewelry, computer equipment, cameras, sports memorabilia and ammunition.

Police were investigating a series of burglaries in September and conducting surveillance on the defendant, whom they allegedly spotted driving a 2004 Chevrolet Pacifica in residential neighborhoods and looking into the windows of several homes.

Girau allegedly entered a Tahoe Street residence and committed a burglary and was arrested shortly afterward, the DA said. At that time, police recovered jewelry and burglar’s tools.

A search warrant was obtained for Girau’s home, where police allegedly found items that were later identified as the property of 10 victims whose homes had been burglarized.

The Forest Hills burglary took place on Sept. 5.