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Charges are pending against a Warsaw man for an attempted residential entry in Winona Lake.
Police will not acknowledge whether the man is a suspect in the "bicycle bandit" string of burglaries, but he has been preliminarily connected with incidents similar to the bandit's mode of operation, authorities said.
Jerry Jerome Womack, 34, of 601 W. Prairie St., Warsaw, is being held without bond in Kosciusko County Jail on probation violation charges.
Police reported this morning that Womack may face charges of attempted residential entry stemming from an Oct. 5 incident at a Winona Lake home. The homeowner reported to police that he observed a suspicious character at his residence attempting to gain entry.
The homeowner, who was inside the home, allegedly stated that he saw a male subject at his front door shining a flashlight into his residence on Prestwick Drive. He allegedly saw Womack in the light reflected off the window toward the suspect's face, and later picked Womack out of a photo lineup.
The affidavit to be forwarded today to the Kosciusko County prosecutor's office states: The address in "Winona Lake, is easily accessible by foot or by bicycle from the residence of the accused."
During the same October night, a neighboring home on Porthcawl Drive was found broken into and the owner reported items stolen. Police have not connected Womack with the Porthcawl Drive break-in, but note the occurence in their reports.
Police apprehended Womack Monday in the Marshall County town of LaPaz, through an undercover operation that allowed them to get close to the suspect.
According to reports, the break-in Womack is suspected of here has a common theme with crimes Womack has been convicted of in Florida.
In the probable cause affidavit, investigators note that the accused has resided in various family members' homes in the area of the alleged attempted break-in.
While authorities are hesitant to say that Womack is the bicycle bandit, the probable cause affidavit indicates "a number of the reported burglaries involved the use of a bicycle used by the perpetrator to traverse to and from areas affected."
In an incident that has not been connected with the Prestwick Drive break-in, Winona Lake Town Marshal Malcolm Gilbert encountered Womack on Aug. 30 while responding to a report of a suspicious person riding a bike. According to police reports, Gilbert was not immediately suspicious of Womack as the burglary suspect until further such investigations in that area.
Police also are investigating charges against others who reportedly assisted Womack in absconding from alleged burglaries, said Warsaw Det. Sgt. Steve Adang.
The attempted break-in at the Prestwick location remains under investigation by the WPD, as do the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department investigations into break-ins around the county last summer.
