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Burglar nabbed
Published November 15, 2005
By AUSTIN KINGHORN
austin.kinghorn@baytownsun.com
A man
charged in a string of home burglaries in the Meadowlake Village subdivision was arrested on Sunday.
A Crime Stoppers
tip led to the apprehension of Harold Floyd Cohen, Jr., 40, who is charged with two counts of felony burglary of a habitation.
Harris County Sheriff’s deputies took Cohen into custody without incident after he was found hiding in a closet at a
home in the 3100 block of Royal Avenue.
Authorities are crediting the distribution of Crime Stoppers fliers with Cohen’s
description for generating the tip that led deputies to his whereabouts. Police had been looking for him since charges were
filed Friday.
“Because of the collaborative efforts of the sheriff’s office and the Baytown Police Department,
along with tips from the public, we were able to take a serial burglar off the streets,” said Harris County Sgt. Dana
Wolfe. “I’m sure the residents of Meadowlake Village are resting a little bit easier, but they should be mindful
that the holidays are approaching and they should stay proactive and watch out for their neighbors and report any suspicious
activities.”
The sheriff’s department is considering Cohen’s connection to additional burglaries,
but no further charges have been filed as of yet. As of Monday, Cohen had not confessed to the charges against him and authorities
have not ruled out that additional suspects may have been involved in the neighborhood’s rash of burglaries.
“He’s
being uncooperative,” Wolfe said. “We’re still trying to get what information we can and hopefully we’ll
be able to recover some of the stolen property he took from the residences.”
Cohen is being held without bond
at the Harris County jail.
Five homes in the subdivision suffered from burglary or attempted burglary between Oct.
24 and Nov. 1. The incidents all occurred during the daytime or early evening and include a home invasion that ended in a
74-year-old man being hospitalized after he was beaten by whoever broke in to his home.
In another incident, a homeowner
on Breda Drive was able to scare off a man roughly matching Cohen’s description who attempted to kick in the front door.
Jewelry was the primary target in the burglaries.
Citing an ongoing investigation, Wolfe declined to say specifically
which incidents Cohen has been charged with or how exactly Cohen became a suspect in the investigation other than to say a
witness had positively identified him.
Sheila Crianza, president of the neighborhood’s homeowner’s association,
said she was “very, very happy” to learn of Cohen’s arrest.
“I have seen the cops out here
and they really and truly have stepped up their patrolling out here,” Crianza said. “Nobody can be that prolific
and that brazen at that time of the day and not get caught.”
The beefed up security provided by off-duty officers
will continue at its 40 hours per week rate at least through the Christmas holidays, Crianza said. The homeowner’s association
voted to up its security from 25 hours per week in light the slew of incidents.
“We always keep the hours up
around Christmas time, and we’re looking into a venture with another subdivision to share hours, so they might be out
here on even a more regular basis,” Crianza said.
A homeowner’s association meeting to discuss the formation
of a neighborhood crime watch will take place tonight at 7 p.m. at the Meadowlake Village Club House.
“There’s
been interest before but also a lot of apathy,” Crianza said. “Hopefully this will light a fire under people.”
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