When Joyce Zabel returned from work to her Carver County home July 12, she first noticed the dog was loose in the house.

She thought little of it, thinking her son was in a hurry and forgot to put her in the basement. Then she noticed the TV was missing. So was her jewelry and the art prints on the walls. Even the quilts off her bed.

"I was like, 'What had happened?'" said Zabel, who lost between $20,000 and $30,000 in property. "It's the weirdest feeling. It's just an awful feeling."

It's a feeling shared by residents of more than 100 homes spanning 10 counties across the greater Twin Cities area. Police have linked the crimes to three suspected burglars who were arrested late last month following a spree that stretched back to spring and netted them thousands of dollars in valuables.

Now authorities from jurisdictions stretching from Le Sueur to Kanabec counties and into Wisconsin want to get those recovered items back to their owners.

Two suspects -- Daniel Hunter Masloski, 27, of White Bear Lake and Sean Jason MaCaloon, 39, of Lakeville -- were charged in Anoka County District Court with prohibited person in possession of a firearm and second-degree burglary. James Wilson Richardson, 32, of Stillwater was charged with second-degree burglary. More charges are likely, authorities said.

All three men have posted bond and were released from the Anoka County jail.

Their arrests on Aug. 24 followed months of investigation and searches that revealed thousands of dollars in stolen tools, guns, electronics and jewelry stashed in a storage locker and a hotel room. There's likely more out there that may never be recovered.

"They took lots of property. Lots of it," said Carver County Sheriff Bud Olson.

At least two of the men met in prison, Olson said. The trio got together in the spring and began targeting "very nice homes," Olson said, entering them during the day and ransacking them. If they were caught scouting a home, they pretended to be tree trimmers looking for work, Olson said.

During a burglary in Carver County, a victim spotted one of the suspects and gave a description resulting in a composite sketch. That sketch helped police locate the men in Wright County three weeks ago.

Lt. Todd Hoffman of the Wright County Sheriff's Office said it was early August when a Maple Lake home was burglarized while the resident was still inside. When she confronted one of them in the kitchen, they took off, but she provided a license plate number to detectives.

Detectives followed the vehicle throughout the metro area for nearly three weeks, waiting for another burglary. But nothing happened. Detectives were ready to give up.

"We were about ready to wrap up the case, and it just so happens the Tuesday before we were going to be shutting things down, they did burglaries in Isanti and Anoka counties," Hoffman said.

The three were arrested in Anoka County and charged two days later.

Olson wants those whose homes were burglarized to contact local law enforcement agencies to determine whether their stolen property was recovered. While thousands of dollars in stolen items, including guns, are still missing, thousands of dollars in recovered items remain.

"We have watches and jewelry, even old-style pocket watches," Olson said. "We have rings and things that belong to people that they've had passed down probably for generations, that these people stole from them. It's pretty significant."

The arrests should ease the fears of many residents, Olson added. "They were busting into people's homes, even when they were there, in some cases. They've frightened a lot of folks."

Zabel is relieved, and plans to head to the sheriff's office next week to determine whether any of her property was recovered. But the arrests don't quell the emotional turmoil.

"Home is your safe place to go and now that feeling gone," Zabel said. "You feel so violated. I hope that safe feeling comes back eventually."

Abby Simons • 612-673-4921

RECLAIM STOLEN ITEMS: Police want to hear from victims. B5