Three 18-year-old Fargo men were arrested early Friday for burglarizing south Fargo homes.
Michael Iwuchukwu and Shawn Fagerwick, both 5118 Amber Valley Parkway, and Michael Softing of 1101 28th Ave. S. were all charged with possession of stolen property.
At the time of their arrest, officers found various types of electronic equipment and tools in their car, court documents say.
Fargo police first became aware of possible theft at 2:11 a.m., when an off-duty police officer called in a suspicious car in the area of Rose Creek, Sgt. Joel Vettel said.
About 10 minutes later, a guest at the Expressway Inn called police to report two men looking into vehicles in the parking lot.
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The caller was able to describe the suspects' car and give the license plate number, Fargo police said.
Shortly after that, a Rose Creek area resident reported a theft from her vehicle parked in her garage, Vettel said.
The defendants were arrested at about 2:30 a.m. in the area of the 3300 block of 40th Ave. S.W.
"It snowballed nicely for us," Vettel said.
What started with an off-duty police officer's gut feeling ended up with catching people in the act, he said.
All three defendants are being held in the Cass County Jail. Bail is set for $3,000 for Iwuchukwu and Fagerwick, and $10,000 for Softing, who was convicted of felony theft in April.
Vettel said the amount of goods stolen is more substantial than officers originally thought.
"It's an ongoing investigation," he said. "Something's going to come forward in the next couple of days."
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The trial is set for Jan. 30.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Lisa Schneider at (701) 241-5529
