Police received a complaint Tuesday night from the owner of two Breast Cancer Help Inc. clothing donation bins reporting that the bins had been stolen from their original locations in parking lots on Sunrise Highway in Bay Shore.
The bins were each outfitted with GPS tracking devices.
Using the information from the devices, police Wednesday morning were able to track the bins to 185 Cortland St. in Lindenhurst.
When police arrived at the scene they also found two additional stolen clothing donation bins that were in the process of being altered and stripped of their original markings in preparation of being repainted.
Following an investigation, police arrested Cesar Antonio Martinez-Duran and Sergio Sandoval-Martinez.
Martinez-Duran, 29, was charged with two counts of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 4th Degree, one count of Criminal Mischief 4th Degree and an outstanding warrant.
Sandoval-Martinez, 46, was charged with one count of Criminal Mischief 4th Degree for altering the bins.
Detectives were also able to determine that Martinez-Duran currently has up to 40 other clothing donation bins currently located in and around Long Island that are believed to have also been stolen and repainted.
The clothing deposited in these bins, which bear the name "Donations International Helping Hand," is not used for charitable causes, but is instead sold for profit.
Martinez-Duran is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Thursday.
Sandoval-Martinez will be released on bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at a future date.
Detectives are asking anyone with more information about this incident to contact the Third Squad at 631-854-8352 or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
All calls will remain confidential.
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