London police say DNA evidence has led to charges in a series of break and enters dating back to 2017.
The 12 break-ins, which happened between October 2017 and July 2021, targeted off-campus student residences around Western University. According to police, they were linked through "forensic analysis of evidence found at the scenes." Police say they identified a suspected in October 2021.
A 58-year-old London man was arrested on January 5. He's charged with 11 counts of break and enter and one count of break and enter with intent.
While there were no injuries reported in any of the inicidents, police say about $22,000 worth of property was stolen and the homes suffered $11,000 in damages.
“In addition to the inconvenience and financial loss they cause, break-ins can be traumatic events for victims. In this case, the wellbeing of an entire neighbourhood community was negatively affected.” said Detective Inspector Paul Bastien of the London Police Service Investigations Branch. “Through diligence and persistence, investigators in the Street Crime Unit were able to identify and arrest an individual, and hopefully provide the victims of these crimes some degree of closure.”
The accused is to appear in court March 29.
