Police Believe String of 30 Burglaries in Multiple Cities Connected

Thieves have broken into at least 29 businesses from Annapolis to Gaithersburg during the past three weeks in quick nighttime strikes, reports the Washington Post.

Detectives told the newspaper they believe that at least 20 of the break-ins – which take place at night when the suspects broke through glass doors, searched for cash and fled -- are connected. All of the businesses appeared to have been unoccupied, and no injuries have been reported.

The thieves seem to be going for cash — grabbing it from registers and even yanking out entire register trays and fleeing with them, the newspaper said.

The break-ins began about Nov. 22 at Jerry’s Subs and Pizza in the 900 block of Bay Ridge Road in Annapolis. Someone broke through the glass door and took cash register drawers, according to Annapolis police. The night of Nov. 23 four Annapolis business were targeted within 31 minutes.

Several days later, in Prince George’s County, a thief or thieves struck 15 times starting about 12:30 a.m. Nov. 29, the Post said.

Police in Annapolis said break-ins there may have been the work of a man wearing a green or blue plaid hooded jacket, yellow-and-blue work gloves, light-colored pants and tan work boots. Police said that a green or blue minivan with silver trim was seen near the crime scenes.

Prince George’s police released surveillance photos of a suspect holding a tray of cash from a register, along with pictures of what they think is a getaway car. Detectives say they think the thief had an accomplice.

The breakins seemed to stop for about 10 days, the Post said, but on Dec. 10 a string of businesses were burglarized in Montgomery County.

See the full story on the Washington Post website.