Police follow snow footprints

A suspect is arrested in smash- and- grab burglaries around the metro area.

Englewood police followed footprints in the snow Friday morning from a store to a man’s apartment and arrested a suspect in recent smash- and- grab burglaries.

Police often use high- tech tools to solve crimes, but in this case simple detective work may solve a case of more than 20 similar smash- and- grab thefts.

Englewood experienced four smash- and- grab burglaries early Friday morning, said Kevin Sage, police spokesman.

Police were called to the 900 block of East Hampden Avenue at 1: 50 a. m. on a report of a burglar alarm. Officers began following the footprints but lost track of them, Sage said.

Shortly afterward, an alarm was triggered at a store in the 3700 block of South Broadway, Sage said.

This time officers were able to track the footprints in the snow to a nearby apartment complex — right to the suspect’s doorstep. Police have not announced the identity of the man who was arrested.

Following footprints has long been a mainstay for detectives in solving crimes, Sage said.

“This is not the first time we’ve followed footprints in the snow to a suspect. That’s when cops become bloodhounds,” he said.

Denver, Sheridan and Englewood police will review videotapes, fingerprints and other forensic evidence to see if they can tie this suspect to a series of destructive burglaries in the past several weeks.

“I don’t know if he is part of a ring or a bunch of buddies that are doing this,” Sage said. “It could be a guy on drugs or someone who is down on his luck.”

At least 20 smash- and- grab burglaries have been reported in Englewood, Denver and Sheridan in the past week.

The burglaries caused a lot of damage, he said. Not only has the suspect or suspects taken cash and merchandise but they have left a lot of broken doors and glass, which are expensive to fix, Sage said.

Last weekend in Englewood, at least eight businesses were hit, with a thief or thieves breaking windows to enter the shops along a stretch of Broadway between the 2700 to the 3300 blocks, said Sgt. Chad Read, Englewood police spokesman.

In Sheridan, the thief or thieves broke into a Verizon Wireless shop and stole display models, including an iPad, said Bruce Williamson, Sheridan police operations commander.

The thief also took $ 100 from the cash register at Truck Logic, a truck accessory store.