UPDATE: Suspected Burglar Arrested; Two-Week Burglary Spree Hits 14 Homes

Editor's Note: A previous version of this article stated that a 24-year old male seen on a property of a home on the 100 block of Simpson Avenue was arrested for public drunkenness, but not suspected of attempted burglary.

A police report released on Monday, Dec. 6, stated that the man was arrested for attempted burglary after allegedly trying to get into the home in multiple ways, including through a basement window, according to the police. The man has since been arrested and given $2,500 unsecured bail.

The article has been changed to reflect the new information.

A two-week long burglary spree seems to be winding down in Ardmore and surrounding areas, according to Lower Merion police reports released Monday, Nov. 29. The bad news is that 14 homes were left victimized in its wake.

The local police department reported 11 burglaries between Nov. 17 and Nov. 20 – . More recently, three homes were burglarized in Ardmore and Wynnewood between Nov. 23 and Nov. 27.

In all but one of the burglaries recorded in the township between Nov. 17 and Nov. 20, entry was gained through unlocked doors and windows, according to the police, and all but two incidents were at night (see table below).

A residence on the 200 block of County Line Road in Ardmore was entered through an unlocked basement window on Nov. 17. Another residence on the same block was entered through an unlocked rear kitchen window, police said. A home on 300 Inwood Road in Ardmore was entered through an unsecured first floor window on Nov. 19, according to police, and a residence on 100 Ardmore Avenue was entered through an unlocked rear door on Nov. 20, to name a few examples.

The burglaries have primarily involved stolen electronics – laptops, phones, TVs, video game consoles – cash and jewelry.

The most recent burglaries occurred over the Thanksgiving holiday break. A home on 100 Trent Road in Wynnewood was burglarized between Nov. 23 and Nov. 27, according to police. Jewelry was taken and the master bedroom was found in disarray, police said. Entry was gained forcibly through a window.

Another home on the 100 block of Elm Avenue in Ardmore was burglarized in the same time frame, under similar circumstances, according to the police. Roughly $2,500 worth of electronics were taken from the home. The actor(s) gained entry forcibly through a door, police said.

No suspects were identified or seen by witnesses in either case, according to the police. A third incident, an attempted burglary on the 1100 block of West Old Wynnewood Road in Wynnewood occurred between Nov. 22 and Nov. 24, although no entry was gained, according to police reports.

In a fourth incident, on Nov. 22 on the 100 block of Simpson Road in Ardmore, police were called about a potential attempted burglary in progress, according to the reports. A 24-year old male, Edgar Alvardo, from the unit block of Rittenhouse Place in Ardmore was found on the property showing signs of intoxication, according to the police. The man was arrested on loitering, trespassing and public drunkenness charges, according to the police.

He was also charged with attempted burglary, according to the police. Police said the suspect tried several ways of getting into the home, including attempted entry through a basement window. He was given $2,500 unsecured bail.

In addition to the burglaries, the neighborhoods continue to be affected by thefts from vehicles,  this summer and fall. Hand tools from a pick-up truck parked on the 300 block of E. Spring Avenue in Ardmore were stolen overnight on Nov. 22, according to police. About $300 worth of equipment was taken. Three other incidents of thefts from motor vehicles were reported throughout the township in the past two weeks.

When to Report Suspicious Activity

Lower Merion Police continue to ask residents to assist in ongoing burglary investigations by reporting suspicious activity.  in October after a neighbor of a victimized home reported suspicious activity to local police. 

"Citizens should not hesitate to call when they see anything suspicious," Lower Merion Police Superintent Michael McGrath said in a township-wide message earlier this year. "Though police officers are on continuous patrol, they cannot be everywhere at once." The police department issued the following list of what could constitute "suspicious activity" that would be helpful in solving the crimes:

• Anyone who acts abnormally should be considered suspicious. Examples of suspicious behavior include unusual noises, including screaming, sounds of fighting or glass breaking;
• People in and/or around buildings or areas who do not appear to be conducting legitimate business;
• Individuals driving vehicles slowly and aimlessly on residential streets;
• People sitting in vehicles for extended periods of time;
• Those who unexpectedly knock on your door with ambiguous purposes;
• Individuals who change their behavior when they notice that they have been detected;
• People dressed inappropriately for the weather or occasion

"It is always better to report a person or situation and have it turn out not to be a crime than to not report the person or situation and find out later that a crime was committed," McGrath said.

Residents can contact the Lower Merion Police Department directly at 610-649-1000 or by calling 9-1-1. Anyone with questions about burglary prevention can also contact the Lower Merion Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit at 610-645-6240.

Has your street been hit? See the list of locations for recent attempted burglaries, according to the Lower Merion Police Department records.