PHOENIX — Two men have been arrested in connection with a string of burglaries in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley that resulted in the theft of over $100,000 worth of kitchen appliances, Scottsdale police announced Thursday.
Aiden Cornish, 22, and Trent Kennedy, 20, were arrested on July 23 following a joint investigation between the Scottsdale and Paradise Valley police departments. The suspects are accused of targeting five homes between June 13 and June 22.
The investigation began after two burglaries occurred overnight on July 13 and 14 near Dynamite Boulevard and Alma School Road in north Scottsdale. Detectives were later able to link those incidents to additional burglaries in Paradise Valley with the help of surveillance footage shared by Paradise Valley police.
Authorities identified Cornish’s black GMC truck through a traffic enforcement camera. The same vehicle, later seen towing a trailer filled with stolen appliances and chairs, was observed leaving Paradise Valley on the morning of June 15.
Detectives continued tracking the vehicle and captured another image of it on July 22 near Shea Boulevard and 130th Street, following a fresh burglary. The trailer again appeared to be loaded with stolen appliances, police said.
The following morning, detectives watched as Cornish drove the trailer to a storage facility in Phoenix, where he was arrested. Kennedy was located and arrested later that afternoon.
“The collaboration between Paradise Valley Police and Scottsdale Police was instrumental in the capture of the two suspects,” said Scottsdale Assistant Police Chief Chris Watson. “By leveraging the latest investigative tools and technology with traditional information sharing, we are making it increasingly more difficult for criminals to commit and get away with crimes.”
During interviews, Kennedy reportedly admitted to participating in the thefts and told investigators Cornish would sell the stolen items and pay him for his involvement. Police say the suspects used proceeds from the burglaries to rent a Lamborghini for three days, a detail confirmed through videos posted to social media.
A search warrant executed on August 1 recovered 10 additional stolen appliances worth approximately $65,000. Cornish and Kennedy face burglary charges, and Cornish is also charged with trafficking stolen goods.
