Burglary spree hits four more homes in Edina

A burglary spree is persisting in Edina, with four more recent reports that police suspect are connected to others in the city and possibly more elsewhere in the west metro.

From May 14 through the Memorial Day weekend, four homes were broken into on the city's northwest side, police said Thursday. No one was home at the time.

The latest crimes "followed a pattern similar" to three burglaries in April and early May, which also occurred on the northwest side of Edina, police said. The latest break-ins involved forced entry, with outside wires being cut in two instances and jewelry being taken in three.

"It looks like they are cutting whatever wires they are finding, even cable TV wires," said police spokeswoman Molly Anderson.

Detective Dave Carlson, who has investigated the Edina burglaries, said this week that the break-ins could be the work of a repeat offender because phone lines have been cut, a technique he described as "old school." Today, he said, security systems have cellular backups to prevent them from being disabled.

More than $100,000 in jewelry has been stolen in Edina, Carlson said.

Last week Minneapolis police released surveillance images of a man they believed responsible for at least five "sophisticated high-end burglaries" near the Chain of Lakes and others in Edina, Minnetonka, Plymouth and Wayzata.

Carlson said that he has been in contact with Minneapolis detectives and has had access to the surveillance images. He said he suspects the same man is involved in the Edina break-ins.

"I sure would like to catch him," Carlson said.

Anderson encouraged residents to make sure their houses look and sound occupied when away from home. "Turn on the TV or put it on a timer, and put some lights on a timer," she said.

Police say the most recent Edina crimes yielded no new witnesses or suspect or vehicle descriptions.

In one of the earlier Edina burglaries, a female homeowner surprised a man in her front hall, and he turned and ran from the home.