Man charged in series of burglaries

HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) - Hampton police have made an arrest in connection with two burglaries in the Michaels Woods area of the city, but believe their suspect may be involved in several other burglaries in several cities.

Investigators say five homes were broken into between January 31 and February 16 this year. Police say these burglaries appear to be related.

"It's very good to get someone like that off the street," said Hampton resident Bobby Lindenmuth.

Police believe 28-year-old Yaree Woods of Virginia Beach is responsible for at least two of these burglaries, although they have not revealed which ones. Police charged Woods with two counts of breaking and entering and two counts of grand larceny.

Norfolk police said Wednesday they believe that Woods also may be connected to burglaries in that city as well.

Some Michaels Woods residents are angry, others are uneasy. Residents told WAVY.com thieves have been breaking into homes and taking valuable jewelry and electronics.

"It's definitely a personal attack," Lindenmuth said. "Someone is breaking into something that is yours and somebody is coming in trying to take it from you. It's definitely not right."

Police report that in the January-February time frame, suspects hit two homes on Dunn Circle, two on Michaels Woods Drive and one home on Ridgewood Drive.

Victim David Walsh said he discovered a problem after returning from church one Sunday. "I went upstairs and realized my television was totally gone, and that was the first inkling I had that somebody had been in the house."

Walsh called police who noticed the thieves had damaged the front door. "They said he kicked the door like five times until he finally just shattered the door jam," Walsh said.

Each of the burglaries happened during the day, when the houses were empty. However, Corporal Paula Scheck with the Hampton Police Department said, "In one of these instances one of the residents came home and the suspect fled from the house, so it could have turned into a very dangerous situation. Luckily, it did not."

One victim who wanted to withhold his identity told WAVY.com he now keeps a chair wedged against his new back door. He said the burglars broke the old door to get into his home. He said they took some of his wife's jewelry.

The suspects also took jewelry from Walsh's roommate and got away with three televisions.

Investigators in Hampton and other Hampton Roads cities are making progress in solving the Michaels Woods cases and others.

Scheck said, "There have been a rash of burglaries that have been in other jurisdictions as well, and the detectives work very closely together and they have recovered some of the stolen property."  The recovered property could help detectives identity suspects.

Police say Woods' alleged string of burglaries ended on Interstate 64, last week after he was arrested during a high speed chase with state troopers. Police say the car Woods was in was used a York County burglary.

Police say they are still investigating, but now have connected Woods to burglaries in York County and Virginia Beach. There are dozens more cases in other cities that are being investigated to see if Woods was involved.

"It's very good," Lindenmuth said. "It's a good feeling knowing that [police] are out there doing what they got to do to catch the bad guys. It makes us feel safer."
 
Woods is currently being held in a Virginia Beach jail.