Last week saw two suspects in several neighborhood burglaries apprehended in two separate arrests. Chief Lee describes the arrests in a Department News Release below.
Even with these arrests you should still take heed and please be sure that your doors are locked at night, even if you are up and about and in the house as a number of these burglaries occurred while the residents were at home!
Meanwhile thanks again to the great work by the KWPD!
| KEY WEST POLICE DEPARTMENT NEWS RELEASE:
Date of Record: February 9, 2011
The Key West Police Department has taken another serial offender off the street, and Chief Donie Lee says he hopes it will have a positive effect on the number of burglaries on the island.
Eric Stephen Blatch, 42, is facing felony charges of burglary and grand theft. He is suspected of burglarizing at least three Old Town residences. Blatch was arrested Monday morning after a resident of a Bahama St. home awoke to see a stranger in his house. The victim chased the intruder through his house, through the yard, and down the street. The victim called the police and was able to give a good description. Within ten minutes, an officer saw the suspect wearing the clothing described by the victim and realized it was Blatch, a serial offender who had recently been arrested on another charge and was out on bond. A "be on the lookout" was issued and Blatch was arrested.
After the arrest, detectives were able to link Blatch to two other burglaries - one on Elizabeth St. and one on Frances St. - and Blatch was charged for them as well. In all three cases, residents were at home when the burglar entered the house.
"It's always beneficial when we are able to identify these serial offenders," said Key West Police Chief Donie Lee. "One arrest can often bring an exponential decrease in the number of crimes that occur."
This is the second arrest in two weeks that detectives believe are responsible for many local burglaries. While visitors to a local guesthouse were reporting a burglary, two other witnesses came forward and told the officer they had stopped a man from climbing through the window of another room in the same guesthouse.
Detectives recognized the description of the suspect and issued a BOLO, and the culprit was arrested the next day.
"These cases are a good reminder that locked doors and windows reduce opportunities for burglars," said Lee. ### |
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