Series of break-ins in east-end Belleville

By Allen Steinberg

BELLEVILLE – Belleville police are reporting a series of break-ins in the city’s east end early Wednesday morning.

At 1 a.m., police say, they received a report from a resident about a man inside their home in the area of Bridge Street East and MacDonald Avenue. The man had got into the house by opening a rear window from the outside but fled when he was startled by the resident, police said.

Police were on the scene and began to search the area within minutes.

About 20 minutes later, police received a call from a house near Montgomery Boulevard and Edward Street, not far from the first incident. The homeowner reported that someone had been ringing the rear doorbell but fled. The homeowner did not recognize the man, police said. A screen had been removed from a window on the house, police say. They searched the area but failed to find the man.

Then at about 3:30 a.m., police were called to the area of Hastings Drive and Dundas Street East by another homeowner reporting that she had been awakened by a man inside her house. She confronted the man, which sent him fleeing, but some items were stolen. There were no injuries.

Belleville police and the OPP canine unit searched the area but found nothing. Forensics officers gathered evidence at each of the three scenes.

The man suspected of the break-ins is described as white, between the ages of 18 and 20, between five feet 10 inches and six feet tall, with a thin build, and clean-shaven. He was wearing a beanie style toque, a baggy orange or brown canvas jacket and grey pants.

Police are asking any home or business owners in the area who might have video surveillance to contact them. Anyone with information or video can reach Belleville police at 613-966-0882 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.