Traverse City Record-Eagle

Grand Traverse County

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March 5, 2009

Suspect in burglaries arrested

Police say man took items from four homes

BY ART BUKOWSKI

TRAVERSE CITY -- A man who allegedly skipped out on parole and committed a string of daylight burglaries in Traverse City could face multiple criminal charges.

Police said Derrick Shawn John Jr., 22, took iPods, cash, electronics and even a 72-inch big-screen television during burglaries from four homes in the area. A Grand Traverse sheriff's deputy stopped and arrested him Thursday afternoon based on a witness' description of his vehicle.

A house on Carver Street was broken into Feb. 22, and a home on Washington Street was hit Tuesday. Homes on Jefferson and N. Elmwood streets were burglarized Thursday.

"He was very bold," Traverse City Police Capt. Brian Heffner said. "He would go up to a home, knock on the door and if nobody answered, he'd go around back and break in."

The sheriff's deputy stopped John near Grawn a few hours after the Thursday burglaries, Heffner said. He was driving a pickup truck and allegedly had several items taken from the four residences, police said.

Police believe they have additional evidence that ties John to the break-ins, though Heffner wouldn't provide details.

It's likely John planned more burglaries, Heffner said, so authorities are glad to have him under wraps. They're also happy he didn't run into anyone inside the homes, because such altercations can easily lead to problems for both the suspect and victim, police said.

"We're very fortunate nobody was home when he came in thinking nobody was there," Heffner said.

John, who lived in the area and had a job refurbishing cars at a local car dealership, spent four years in prison for two home invasions in Oakland County in 2003.

He's originally from Oakland County, Heffner said, but was paroled to the area after spending time at the Pugsley Correctional Facility near Kingsley.

He hadn't been reporting to his parole officer, and was listed as a parole absconder a few weeks before his arrest.

John is being held in the Grand Traverse County jail.

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