A one-mile trek along a trail of footprints in the snow Wednesday night led Carbondale police to a 23-year-old man who they say broke into dozens of unlocked cars in support of his heroin habit.
Carbondale Patrolman Jeff Arthur said he was on Birkett Street when he noticed footprints.
"You could tell by the footprints the person checked the perimeter of the car," he said.
Patrolman Arthur called in backup and took a walk along the footprints, which led officers to Clark Avenue, Richmond Street, Cemetery Street and finally to 24 Copeland Ave., he said. There, officers found Thomas Earl Everett Jr., 23, of Carbondale, who had been staying with a friend. After Mr. Everett told officers the friend was not home, the owner of the house allowed them inside.
A search of the home turned up a bookbag officers say Mr. Everett packed with items stolen from the 18 cars he found unlocked Wednesday night - of the 62 he checked, Patrolman Arthur said.
"He said he just went car to car," Patrolman Arthur said.
Also found in the home were a wallet, lottery tickets, loose change and prescription medication, all of which Patrolman Arthur said was stolen from the cars.
Mr. Everett later admitted that he also committed a string of car break-ins Christmas Eve, Patrolman Arthur said, saying he stole to support his heroin addiction.
Mr. Everett was arraigned on 18 counts each of theft from a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property as well as one count of loitering and prowling at night. Charges from the Christmas Eve break-ins are pending, Patrolman Arthur said.
Working with a description of the burglar, Carbondale police released surveillance images from Pennstar Bank on Wednesday that purported to show the thieves, who police said had gone into the bank to cash coins. The man pictured in those images quickly responded to police headquarters and was cleared through additional investigation, Patrolman Arthur said.
Despite the arrest, Patrolman Arthur urged residents to be vigilant. "We, as a police department, believe there's other people out there breaking into cars," he said.
Contact the writer: domalley@timesshamrock.com