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Two break-ins and three attempts over the weekend are believed to be the work of the same person who has burglarized homes in the Warsaw area since May, police said today.
The home of William Raymond Mitchell, 2506 Glad St., in the Sherwood Forest Addition, Warsaw, was entered early Saturday morning. No final report has been made on what, if anything, was stolen.
The Mitchell break-in was reported at 3:57 a.m. Saturday, as soon as it was noticed. Entry was made through a kitchen window.
The Royce Allen Cox residence, 1800 Kimal Drive, Warsaw, was broken into early Sunday morning. No report on stolen property has been issued.
Cox's neighbor, Terry Allen Sims, 1802 Kimal Drive, reported an attempted break-in at the same time of the Cox burglary, but no entry was made at the Sims residence.
However, Cox and Sims live on Pike Lake, and both reported their boats missing. Police later found the Sims canoe across the canal, and believe it was cut loose. The Cox rowboat was found across the lake, and police believe it was used by the suspected burglar.
According to police, a Sherwood Forest resident, Gene Fry, Glad Street, foiled an attempted break-in at his home Saturday.
Fry told the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department that he heard noises outside at approximately 3 a.m. Saturday. Fry said he saw a person dressed in black and wearing a purple bandana standing near a back door that faces a wooded area. When Fry turned on an outside light, the person reportedly picked up a white cloth bag and ran away from the residence.
Fry said he was unable to see the person's face. Officers later found pry marks on the door molding, but no entry was made.
The sheriff's department K-9 was unable to track the suspected burglar Saturday because of the heavy rains.
Another Sherwood Forest resident, Deidre Philomena Jaynes, of Marion Avenue, on Sunday morning reported an attempted burglary at her house. A screen door was removed, but no entry was made.
Police believe all the incidents are the work of the same person or persons who has broken into Warsaw-area homes during the summer. The break-ins this weekend bring the total of known burglaries to near 50.
