Thieves Posed as Golfers in Country Club Burglary Spree, Police Say

Written by Elizabeth Alterman

Two men are accused of theft and credit card fraud in a series of burglaries that took place inside the locker rooms of multiple country clubs on the East Coast, including Baltusrol Golf Club, where the pair donned golfing attire that included golf caps, shoes and a glove on one hand, police said. 

Oscar Cabrera, 33, of Miami, was arrested on July 20 by Millburn Police and turned over to Springfield Police after he and his partner struck the Canoe Brook Country Club, where employees recognized the duo based on information provided by the Springfield Police Department, according to the report.

Luis Paz, 34, also of Miami, fled the scene that evening but was arrested Thursday after Detective James Mirabile and Detective Anthony Voorhees, with the aid of the NYPD Fugitive Unit, tracked him down in Queens, N.Y. 

The arrests were made nearly a month after credit cards belonging to three members of Baltusrol Golf Club were reported stolen, according to the Springfield Police Department. 

During the investigation, Mirabile found some of the stolen credit cards were used at stores in the Township of Union where a total of $8,000 in gift cards were purchased by alleged thieves and another $8,000 was attempted at the Target in Vauxhall but was aborted by the pair after they were flagged for suspicious activity and fled. 

Surveillance video obtained from golf club security personnel confirmed that the pair who broke into lockers at the golf club were the same individuals who fled the store, police said.
 
Earlier in July, detectives were able to link the pair to identical golf course thefts at numerous other locations in New Jersey, New York State and Greenwich, Conn., according to police. It was later found that identical crimes had taken place earlier in the year at numerous golf courses in Florida and South Carolina.

"Based upon their attire as to be able to blend in with players at the club, it was obvious to my detectives that these suspects may have committed similar crimes in the past and/or would commit additional crimes at other golf courses," Springfield Police Chief John Cook. said.

"The New Jersey Golf Association was contacted so that the information on these suspects and the vehicle could be shared with golf courses through out New Jersey as well as police departments statewide."

Cabrera was remanded to the Union County Jail, with bail set at $200,000, while Paz is in custody in New York and awaiting extradition back to New Jersey.

Cabrera and Paz were charged with multiple counts of theft by deception, credit card theft, credit card fraud, burglary and criminal trespass and have a tentative court date set for Friday in Union County Superior Court.