Alleged burglar admits to string of crimes

Tyree Kearney, an alleged serial burglar, was captured and is behind bars thanks to a citizen who suspected wrong doing and called police, authorities said.

The resident called 911 after seeing a suspicious person knocking on doors on South Madison Avenue. Uniformed officers responded to the call and captured a suspect who admitted to a total of 11 house burglaries since July in the Drexel Hill and Highland Park neighborhoods.

Kearney, 21, of the 7800 block of Westview Road, was captured by Officer Ryan Wisely after a brief foot chase and arraigned Friday by Magisterial District Judge Christopher Mattox.

“This is what people are supposed to do,” Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said. “If you see someone acting suspicious call the police. This investigation went from a community member seeing someone suspicious knocking on a door and calling 911, to uniformed police responding and detectives picking it up from there.”

Kearney allegedly accessed houses by removing window air conditioner units, through unlocked windows and unlocked front doors or by slashing window screens, according to police.

“This guy was a one man crime wave. He entered houses at all times of the day and night. Some of the houses were occupied,” Chitwood said. “He would just walk around a neighborhood and randomly pick a house. Two were on his street. During the day he would knock on a door and if there was no answer he went inside. At night he went into occupied houses. Some of the burglaries were never reported to police.”

According to Chitwood, when Kearney was apprehended, he was with a 14-year-old boy playing hooky from school.

Officers who captured Kearney recognized him as the alleged burglary suspect from a still photo taken from security video inside an alleged victim’s home on the 400 block of South Carol Boulevard, which was broken into Sept. 25 and 27.

The victims reported $150 had been stolen from a handbag on Sept. 25 and electronic games and a diamond bracelet were reported stolen Sept. 27.

“The victims reported a forced entry through a rear window,” Chitwood said. “The actor was captured on video by the victims. Once in custody he gave up the other burglaries.”

During recent months, Kearney allegedly stole more than $3,000 and loose change from cups and containers, jewelry, computers and other electronic devices, a checkbook, a TV, a backpack to carry the loot and cell phones from houses, according to police.

Inside of house on the 7200 block of Westview Road, he allegedly stole car keys and returned an hour later and stole a silver Toyota Corolla, which was later found abandoned on Beverly Boulevard.

Kearney accompanied Detective Christopher Karr Jr. in an unmarked police vehicle to identify houses he allegedly entered since July.

“We did recover a couple of computers, and we’re looking to recover more,” Chitwood said. “We’re out with search warrants now to recover objects taken. He sold some of the stuff he stole to friends or gave some to friends. We know who he gave some of the stuff to because he told us. He’s just a bum. He’s an out-and-out thief and a burglar. Now he’s in jail and hopefully he’ll be sent away for a long time.”

Chitwood credited Wisely, Karr and Detective Ray Blohm with the burglary investigation that remains ongoing.

Mattox arraigned Kearney on multiple counts of burglary, theft, criminal trespass, receiving stolen property and related offenses for allegedly entering residences on South Carol and Beverly boulevards, Cedar Lane, South Cedar Lane, Agnew Drive, South Madison, Bond and Westview avenues and South State Road.

Mattox set bail at $50,000 cash pending a preliminary hearing Oct. 14 in district court.