Police Nab Serial Burglar In Montgomery County
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. (CBS) – Police in Montgomery County say they have arrested a man wanted for a string of burglaries throughout the county.
Edward W. Barnes, Jr., 47, was arrested on Friday for a number of nighttime burglaries in Whitpain Township, Conshohocken, White Marsh Township and Plymouth Township over the last 15 months.
The burglaries took place between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., and during some of the incidents, the homeowners were inside.
Officials also say that during the burglary investigations, an older model red sedan driven by an unknown male was captured on surveillance video at Sunoco gas stations in Philadelphia. The car was later located in an alley behind a residence on Cottman Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia.
On Saturday, June 22, surveillance was conducted on the car, a 2002 Suzuki Esteem, which traveled into Montgomery County. The vehicle stopped on Maple Drive in Whitemarsh, where nighttime burglaries had occurred before.
Police from Whitemarsh, Conshohocken and Plymouth Township responded to the scene, where the defendant was arrested while in the process of breaking into a house.
An ensuing investigation then revealed that Barnes was allegedly responsible for 20 burglaries and multiple attempted burglaries over the past year-and-a-half.
During a search of Barnes' residence, police confiscated stolen items including a laptop, jewelry and other tech items. One item has been linked to a recent burglary in Philadelphia.
Barnes is currently being held in Montgomery County Correctional Facility on $100,000 bail. He is facing charges including Burglary, Attempted Burglary, Theft, Receiving Stolen Property and Access Device Fraud.
