Man arrested for breaking into vacant homes

The O’Fallon Police Department believes it has caught the man responsible for as many as 27 burglaries in the St. Charles County area.

The St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued charges on Joshua Middleton, 23,  for 27 counts of second-degree burglary and one count of a theft/stealing of over $500 , with a $50,000 bond. Middleton is an O’Fallon resident. He is currently in custody at the St. Charles County Sheriff’s Office Jail.

In January, the O’Fallon Police Department requested assistance from the public to contact their local law enforcement if they observed suspicious activity in the area of vacant homes for sale. This was because of an increase in burglaries from vacant residences which were for sale. The items being stolen included copper, police said.

At about 3:14 p.m., Jan. 12, the O’Fallon Police Department received a call from a resident in the area of the 300 block of Copper Tree Court regarding a subject looking in the windows of a vacant house. The subject looking into the windows was seen leaving the area in a truck. The truck was later stopped by an O’Fallon police officer and the subject was arrested and transported to the O’Fallon Police Department. During the investigation that followed the subject admitted to burglarizing vacant foreclosed residences in O’Fallon and the surrounding area.

Thanks to the combined efforts of the O’Fallon Police Department, St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department, St. Peters Police Department, and the St. Charles City Police Department the investigation led to twenty eight cases being cleared within the St. Charles County region.