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Inside the investigation: VBPD looking to track down serial burglar

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Posted at 4:57 PM, Oct 20, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-21 08:58:39-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The search continues to find a serial burglar targeting homes from Virginia Beach to Norfolk.

At this point, police believe it's a crime of opportunity and the suspect in question is looking for unlocked homes and vehicles.

Virginia Beach Police have received reports from citizens that the man burglarized homes on Kestrel Lane, Green Hill Road, Bay Colony, Pinewood Road and Wimbledon on the Bay between September and October.

He was caught on camera almost every time and still managed to avoid police. Police said the man, who walks with a distinct limp, has broken into homes not once or twice, but close to a dozen times.

Detective Sgt. Brian with VBPD said, "We've seen that it's fairly quick. He knows where he's going - he goes right to a specific house, and he goes in and he goes out."

In and out, mostly through sliding glass doors, in the dark of night between midnight and 4 a.m.

"We've even seen him looking into windows or through the door prior to going in, and we believe that's because he sees the purse or a wallet on a table," said Sgt. Brian.

News 3 spoke with a resident in the Bay Colony neighborhood who said her dog recently woke her up in the middle of the night by barking and acting unusual.

"I'm wondering if he was trying to get into our house, but we're pretty good about locking our doors and locking our cars," she said.

Sgt. Brian said keeping doors locked is the number one thing people can do to protect their family - regardless of what neighborhood they live in - because this suspect isn't just targeting Virginia Beach.

Norfolk Police confirmed in September the man burglarized homes in the Algonquin, Pleasant Point and Larchmont areas of the city.

"Once we connect that there's a pattern - usually their method of entry, the time that they're hitting, the locations that they're hitting - those are some of the things that help us identify a serial burglar," said Sgt. Brian.

In this case, the man only seems to be taking cash.

"I think he's using the environment to his advantage - a large dark yard where he can get in and out late at night," Sgt. Brian said. "We are confident that we are going to catch him. It's just a matter of time."

VBPD said they take every report of a crime seriously and investigate each one individually.

They are now, once again, encouraging the community to keep doors, windows and vehicles locked and to make sure all exterior lights on your home are working.

We also reached out to the other police departments in Hampton Roads about the serial burglaries.

Portsmouth Police said in a statement, "At this time, we are not aware of something like what you are describing occurring in Portsmouth."

In Suffolk, a spokesperson said, "The Suffolk Police Department is aware of the burglaries that have occurred in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Suffolk Police have investigated several burglaries recently, but none that match the M. O. as those that are occurring in Norfolk and Virginia Beach."

Call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP (1-888-562-5887) if you see anything suspicious. You can earn money if you provide information that leads to an arrest.

Related: Burglar targets unlocked cars in Bayview area of Norfolk