4 accused of breaking into stores and taking scratcher tickets

The four who were arrested are Shawn Ray, top left, Michael Walker, top right, Alexander Castillo, bottom left, and Jose Sotomayor.
The four who were arrested are Shawn Ray, top left, Michael Walker, top right, Alexander Castillo, bottom left, and Jose Sotomayor.

After a multi-agency investigation into a Lotto-ticket burglary ring, four men have been arrested for allegedly breaking into convenience and liquor stores up and down the Peninsula and stealing large quantities of scratcher tickets, Belmont police said.

Police say the men — Shawn Ray, 22, Michael Walker, 21, Alexander
Castillo, 22 and Jose Sotomayor, 21, all of San Jose — would drive to stores
and gas stations in places like San Jose and San Francisco where they would
cash in any winning tickets.

Three of the burglaries occurred in Belmont from July 14th to Aug. 11. Belmont police worked with investigators from Burlingame, Menlo Park, Los Gatos-Monte Sereno and San Jose police departments along with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department.

Additional suspects are being sought, police said.

— Bay City News