4 Charged in May Burglary

Four Waukesha residents are facing charges after they allegedly broke into an area apartment to steal money and checks.

Ashli J. Castillo, 22, Ramiro Gonzalez, 19, Noel M. Kuznicki, 18, and David J. Rhine, 19, were all charged in on Wednesday with multiple counts of burglary and identity theft for financial gain. If convicted, Castillo faces up to 24-½ years in prison, Gonzalez faces up to 12-½ years in prison, Kuznicki faces up to 37 years in prison and Rhine faces up to 14 years in prison.

According to the criminal complaint:

On May 29, a man living in the 2100 block of Kensington Drive left for lunch around 11 a.m. and returned three hours later to find the door to his apartment unlocked and a patio door to the balcony slightly ajar. The man went into his bedroom where he discovered a lock box and prescription medication missing.

The man’s fiancé told police the box had $1,500 cash in it, along with her passport, check books, Oxycodone, three Elvis Presley collectible quarters and $20 in dimes were inside the box. She suspect her daughter, Kuznicki, who she was having issues with.

A downstairs neighbor told police they saw a woman and two men go up to the apartment and leave a short time later.

Police contacted Kuznicki and Rhine, who told investigators they went to the apartment with Gonzalez, who scaled the balcony and opened the door so they could get inside.

On June 3, the victims contacted police again after they discovered two checks stolen in the burglary were cashed at area banks for a total loss of $1,700. Officers researched surveillance footage at the banks, which showed Castillo and Rhine at one bank on one occasion and Castillo alone at the second bank. Outdoor video footage showed Kuznicki was outside the banks on each occasion.

Castillo tried to cash another check on June 8, but the bank became suspicious and froze her own bank account at the time.

On June 21, Waukesha police were called back to the victims’ apartment again after they discovered someone broke into their apartment again while they had been out of town on vacation. Change was missing from the apartment along with a wristwatch and foreign coin collection and a check, which had been cashed for $900.

Officers also found an appointment slip for Castillo in the apartment and contacted her again. She told officers she had been there with Kuznicki drinking soda and eating pizza one day and before they left, Kuznicki grabbed a shopping bag and small box with unknown items inside.