Repeat offender with 20-year rap sheet arrested in East Dallas shop break-ins

Repeat offender arrested in East Dallas burglaries

Police have arrested Alfredo Morones in connection with a string of burglaries at East Dallas shop break-ins.

DALLAS - Police have made an arrest in the burglary of a Dallas skate shop weeks after the store's owner reported the break-in. 

Police say it was the suspect's previous run-ins with law enforcement that ultimately led to him getting arrested for burglarizing the Rec Shop in East Dallas, and possibly other stores in the area. 

Rec Shop burglar arrest

Alfredo Morones mugshot sheet

Dallas police arrested the man they say is seen in surveillance video stealing cash out of the register at the Rec Shop, a skate store in East Dallas. 

Alfredo Morones, 50, has been in and out of jail since 2003. FOX 4 received 18 mugshots from the Dallas County Sheriff's Office. 

Morones was arrested Thursday and is charged with burglary. According to jail records, he's currently back in the Dallas County Jail and being held without bond for parole violations. 

The shop's owner, Ben Sharon, said Morones ripped off the security gate at the back of the building and picked the lock. He reportedly stole about a $1,000 in cash. 

Sharon filed a police report on the break-in at his store on Nov. 17. Then, a few weeks later, a man with similar features was caught on surveillance video trying to break into Humble Simply Good Pies a mile up the street. 

He wasn't able to get the door open, but the restaurant owner told FOX 4 he left with $40 worth of tools. It cost them several hundred dollars to fix the lock. 

East Dallas business owners relieved

Alfredo Morones

"It's definitely a lot of relief this guy's off the streets," Sharon said.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit obtained by FOX 4 on Friday, it says other Dallas police officers recognized Morones from previous run-ins.

"I mean the guy looked like a career criminal. The way he was doing stuff, you could tell it wasn't his first one and definitely wasn't gonna be his last one, so I'm glad they got him off," Sharon saoid.

The affidavit did not share where Morones was arrested, but Sharon says officers told him they believed Morones was homeless, and they were looking for him. 

Sharon told the other business owners the good news.

"Oh yeah, it's a celebration. We're gonna get together and have a little celebration drink," Sharon said.

And they hope that people choose to shop small businesses this holiday season.

"If you're in this area, come out, support everybody around, we'd appreciate it. We got our burglar, he's gone. You're free to come out and spend money with your small businesses," Sharon said.

What's next:

A Dallas police source says the investigation is ongoing to see if Morones is connected to other burglaries in the area.