Pre-trial hearing Wednesday in East Boston BMC for New Jersey man accused of being driver for airport baggage-theft ring

BOSTON, January 3, 2023 —A New Jersey man accused of being the driver for a bag-theft ring targeting Logan International Airport and other flight centers in the Northeast will appear in East Boston BMC Wednesday for a pre-trial hearing following his arrest and arraignment last month, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

LUIS ARELLANO-CORRALES, 30, of Paterson was arraigned in East Boston BMC December 15 on charges of accessory after the fact and conspiracy.  Judge John McDonald set $15,000 bail and ordered Arellano-Corrales to stay away from Logan Airport and report by telephone to probation once a week.

Arellano-Corrales’s arraignment followed a lengthy investigation by Massachusetts State Police initiated by the February theft on February 26, 2022 of a woman’s purse in Terminal E as the victim weighed her bags. The purse contained jewelry, cash and other items worth $13,415. Surveillance video showed three male suspects working together to steal the bag.

Troopers determined that the trio left the terminal in a 2020 Buick driven by Arellano-Corrales and further determined the Buick’s license plate and identified Arellano-Corrales as the vehicle owner.  After issuing a Be on the Lookout (BOLO) alert, investigators received a response from a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey detective familiar with the group’s activities in New York and New Jersey airports. Troopers obtained an arrest warrant for Arellano-Corrales. He was arrested in New Jersey and waived rendition to be returned to Massachusetts.  The other suspects are being sought.

The group is suspected of a January 2022 baggage theft at JFK International Airport in excess of $22,000.

“This group is adept at communicating with each other and using distraction techniques to target unsuspecting travelers and then make a quick escape. Their activities provide a good reminder for everyone to never leave valuables unattended or out of sight, even for a moment,” Hayden said.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications