BALTIMORE — A serial burglar has been arrested in connection with a series of theft-related incidents across Baltimore.
Jamal Gardner, 34, has been charged in 17 incidents, with additional incidents still under investigation.
Police say the incidents occurred between Jan. 22 and Feb. 20 at four downtown hotels, two apartment complexes and one commercial property.
According to charging documents, multiple guests reported leaving their hotel rooms and returning to find their belongings missing. Investigators determined the doors had been opened from the inside.
In one case, a victim told officers he checked into his hotel room around 6:30 p.m. before heading out to dinner. When he returned about three hours later, he found his suitcase near the elevators, prompting him to check for his other belongings.
Items reported missing included a Lenovo laptop and a custom suit valued at $1,500.
After reviewing surveillance footage, officers identified Gardner as the suspect.
Police say Gardner has several outstanding warrants for various other burglaries.
Gardner was taken into custody at an apartment in the 100 block of E. Fayette Street. Following a search of the location, police recovered property linked to 14 confirmed victims, including passports, state ID cards and credit cards.
