MINNESOTA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM HOMES wcco.com - $100K In Stolen Items Retrieved From Burglary Ring: 100K In Stolen Items Retrieved From Burglary Ring

(WCCO) Richfield, Minn. Police recovered almost $100,000 in stolen goods taken from as many as 30 homes after busting a Twin Cities burglary ring. Investigators credited alert neighbors for helping them arrest two suspects.

Police said Michael Rucci and his nephew Gianni Rucci McDowall burglarized homes in Brooklyn Center, Minneapolis, Edina, Richfield and Bloomington.

According to authorities, the method of Michael Rucci's entry was similar in his string of home burglaries.

"He would take a pillow case off the bed and rummage around the house for firearms, computers jewelry cash," said Richfield Police Detective Dave Frank.

Burglary victim Patty Hughes was shaken when she discovered someone had broken into her home last month.

"Immediately I could tell we'd been burglarized. Stuff was all over drawers were open tossed," said burglary victim Patty Hughes. "My jewelry box drawer was open. All my jewelry was gone."

It was the burglary at Hughes' house that provided a break in the case. According to investigators, when Rucci left the Hughes home, neighbors called police to report a suspicious white Chevrolet Suburban leaving the scene.

"The case wouldn't have been solved if they didn't tell be about the white Suburban. I wouldn't have a clue at this point," said Frank.

Detectives traced the Chevrolet to Rucci, who was staying at McDowell's house in Richfield, Minn. McDowall denied involvement when authorities arrived and, after their search, officers confronted Rucci when he returned home.

"He said, 'I'm glad you're here, I need to make a burglary report.' They said, 'No, you're under arrest,'" said Frank. "We found firearms,computers, hundreds of pieces of jewelry ... a lot of property. We have 37 bags full of items."

The burglary ring doesn't mark the first time Rucci has been in trouble with the law. Police said he is a career criminal recently paroled from an Arizona prison.

"It's a big relief to know he won't be hitting anyone else," said Hughes.

Police said it may be tough to disperse the stolen items as few homeowners document their valuables. Richfield authorities are planning to let victims see the goods then match them with the police reports.