Serial jewelry thief suspect caught in Montgomery County home break-in
Suspected jewelry thief caught in the act in Montgomery County
A suspected jewelry thief was arrested after a break-in at a Potomac home, Montgomery County police said.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - A Prince George's County man is facing charges in a string of residential burglaries across Maryland. He was arrested after Montgomery County police caught him in the act outside a home in Potomac.
What we know:
The suspect, 29-year-old Anderson Javier Santacruz Gallegos, was arrested as he walked out of a home on Enid Street, carrying a haul of stolen property. Police said a 92-year-old woman was sleeping inside the home during the break-in. She was not hurt.
Investigators said Santacruz Gallegos relied on a straightforward strategy to target homes. He would knock on the front door of a house to determine if anyone was home. If there was no answer, Santacruz Gallegos would make his way to the back of the home, force open a window and loot the home for items, targeting jewelry and coins.
Police had been tracking Santacruz Gallegos for several days before they arrested him.
"They were able to give them to our surveillance team as a target," said Capt. Warren Jensen of the Montgomery County Police Department. "They were able to follow him, able to watch him commit a crime, and, fortunately for us, able to arrest him based on that."
Santacruz Gallegos is facing four residential burglary charges, but investigators suspect he is connected to at least eight incidents and likely many more throughout the region.
When they searched him, police recovered dozens of stolen items, including earrings, rings, necklaces, watches and coins.
Detectives have already reunited some items with their rightful owners, but they are searching for additional victims spread across Montgomery County, including in Silver Spring, Potomac and Rockville, as well as Howard County. Charging documents also indicate potential ties to thefts in Alexandria, Virginia.
Santacruz Gallegos appeared in court this week and is being held without bond.
Montgomery County police are urging community members to review images of the recovered jewelry to determine if they may have been a victim of theft. Anyone who recognizes the stolen property or who has information about this case is asked to call Montgomery County police.
The Source: Information in this article is from Montgomery County police.