$10,000 in stolen property recovered from Mercedes following south Modesto crash
Two Modesto brothers and one of their girlfriends were arraigned Monday on charges related to more than $10,000 worth of stolen property taken during 18 burglaries in three cities. The items were located in their vehicle after a collision last week, police said.
All three were arrested after the collision in south Modesto, but the brothers had been on detectives’ radar for several days, police said.
Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Sharon Bear said property crime detectives were doing surveillance Nov. 30 along the Sisk Road corridor in response to an increase in vehicle burglaries there.
She said they spotted two men using flashlights to look into vehicles at the Planet Fitness at Briggsmore Avenue and Sisk and followed them to the In Shape on Prescott Road, where the suspects’ suspicious behavior continued.
An investigation was launched and in the five days that followed the suspects allegedly committed multiple vehicle burglaries at an apartment complex on Tully Road in Modesto, 10 vehicle burglaries at an apartment complexes in Fremont, and a robbery at the Home Depot on Carpenter Road.
On Thursday, the suspects — Tiana Robinson-Johnson, 27, of Tracy; her boyfriend, Melvin Dangelo Goree Jr., 25, of Modesto; and his brother, Isaiah Dominic Goree, 20, of Modesto — were in a 2004 Mercedes when they crashed into another vehicle at Hatch and Ustick roads, police said. No one was injured in the crash.
Robinson-Johnson and Melvin Goree, who was driving, ran from the scene, but responding officers quickly located them walking along the nearby Tuolumne River; the younger Goree stayed in the Mercedes, police said. All three were arrested.
Bear said officers searched the vehicle and found more than $10,000 worth of electronics like cell phones, iPads and computers that were taken from 18 vehicle burglaries in Modesto, Manteca and Freemont. Bear said the suspects targeted gyms, apartment complexes and night clubs.
On Monday, all three were charged with three counts of burglary and one count of receiving stolen property.
The brothers were also charged with the robbery at Home Depot. They allegedly threatened a loss prevention officer at the store who confronted them as they were stealing items valued at more than $950.
According to the criminal complaint, Melvin Goree has a prior convictions for attempted robbery, which could add time to his sentence if found guilty of these crimes.
All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on Monday.
Bear said most of the recovered property has been returned to the owners.
This story was originally published December 9, 2019 at 4:15 PM.
