Brighton man charged and stolen vehicles worth more than £50,000 recovered

Detectives in Brighton have charged a local man with a number of theft offences and recovered stolen vehicles worth more than £50,000.

Police received reports of a red moped having been stolen from outside St Mary Magdalen’s Church in Upper North Street on Sunday (January 23).

The following day, a resident of Withdean Road became aware of somebody attempting to break into his garage while he was inside working, but they were disturbed and fled the scene.

At around 3.20pm on the same day, a resident of Somerhill Avenue reported his motorbike having been stolen from his garage, after a large hole had been cut into the entrance hatch. The incident was understood to have taken place between 11am and 2.30pm.

Police received another separate report at 3.20pm from a victim who said somebody had recently entered their home in Millcroft, taken their car keys and stolen a BMW worth £49,000.

The vehicle had been fitted with a tracker which led officers to Tongdean Road, just minutes away from the scene of the crime.

Two suspects wearing motorcycle helmets were found in the stolen vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. The driver managed to escape while the passenger, 28-year-old Marli Casaletto of Uplands Road in Brighton, was arrested nearby.

The red moped stolen from outside St Mary Magdalen’s Church was also found at the scene, with tools typically used for burglaries discovered under the seat.

Officers from Brighton’s Neighbourhood Policing Team located the driver – a 17-year-old boy from Brighton – later that evening and then arrested him on suspicion of burglary.

Casaletto was charged with two counts of theft of a motor vehicle, two counts of burglary and one count each of attempted burglary, driving while disqualified and using a motor vehicle without insurance. He has been remanded in custody pending a court date.

The BMW and moped were returned to their respective owners.