Thief Goes On Burglary Spree Through Whitestone: NYPD

WHITESTONE, QUEENS -- A man believed to be behind a half dozen break-ins throughout Whitestone is still at large, police said.

Cops suspect the man is at least one of the suspects involved in six burglaries reported over the last six weeks, in which thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry were stolen. The break-ins, which began in February and have continued up until St. Patrick's Day, were all committed within a 2-mile radius, police said.

The heists began on Feb. 9 near 166 Street and 16 Road, where the man is believed to have stolen jewelry and $500 in cash from a home after breaking in through a back window in broad daylight, cops said.

Not even 10 hours later that day, a neighbor reported someone had broken into their house through a back door and ransacked it, but left empty-handed, authorities said.

Exactly a week later, the thief broke into another home less than a mile away near 160 Street and 23 Avenue. He stole jewelry and around $5,000 after forcing his way into the house through a window, police said. The burglar returned to the area around the same time two days later, this time stealing jewelry from a neighbor's home.

Cops believe the same thief has since swiped jewelry from two neighboring homes between 160 Street and 21. Both times - once on March 8 and again on March 17 - he forced his way in through a basement window.

The NYPD released surveillance photos of the suspected serial burglar, who was last seen carrying a black backpack past one of the homes while wearing a dark baseball cap, a gray hoodie and black sweatpants.

It is unclear whether the suspect had an accomplice, police said.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).

Lead photo via NYPD.