The 5/11/16 Police Log contained the below information regarding several burglaries / attempted burglaries in the northwest area of Lancaster City:

Between 9:40 p.m. May 10 and 12:23 a.m. May 11, officers responded to several suspicious activity / burglary calls in the northwest area of the city. The first incident was in the 600 blk. of W Orange St., where officers responded to a report of a Black male wearing a mask loitering around the church at Orange St. and Marietta Ave. Responding officers were unable to locate the subject. At 11:17 p.m. officers were dispatched to the 100 blk. of N. Pine St for suspicious activity. The caller heard someone knocking on the glass of her front door. When she checked, she discovered the glass in the door had been broken. She did not see anyone. At 11:27 p.m. police were dispatched to a residence in the 1st blk. of N. Pine St. for a possible attempted burglary. The victim stated he heard dogs barking outside and went to check. After turning on outside lights, he saw a Black male wearing a white t-shirt, dark pants and carrying a dark jacket or shirt standing at his back window. The suspect saw him and fled on foot. At 12:23 a.m. (May 11) officers were dispatched to the 400 blk. of W. Orange St. for a burglary that had just occurred. The caller stated she was awakened when the lights turned on in her bedroom. She saw a Black male with no shirt on standing in her apartment. She screamed and the suspect fled, jumping out of the 1st floor living room window he had apparently entered from. At 1:04 a.m., officers searching the area located and stopped an adult male in the 300 blk. of W. Grant St. who matched the general descriptions provided in the last two incidents. Police verified his identity and released him with no charges at this time. The investigation is continuing, as detectives are processing the scenes for evidence and checking surveillance cameras in the area.

UPDATED INFORMATION:

Investigators have been following up on these and additional recent burglary investigations. One of the prior incidents was an attempted burglary that occurred on May 6^th, 2016 at 07:10 a.m. At this time, a witness observed a male with a bicycle attempting to open windows on the first floor of a house in the 200 block of N. Mulberry St. At about the same time, the resident of this house heard a noise at her window and looked out to see a man outside. She discovered that this man had opened the window screen to one of her first-floor windows. The man fled the area.

Also on May 6^th, 2016 at approximately 7:30 a.m., the resident of a home in the 100 blk. of Nevin St. heard his dog barking in the backyard, so he looked outside and observed a man removing the screen from his kitchen window. The man then picked up a rock and motioned like he was going to break the window. The resident shouted at the man, who fled the area on a bicycle.

The suspect was not located at this time. Lancaster Safety Coalition cameras were reviewed, and video showing the suspect riding a bicycle in the area of the Nevin St. and Mulberry St. incidents during this time frame was located.

Detectives noticed that the descriptions of the suspect in the May 6^th incidents were similar to that of the person stopped on Grant St. on the morning on May 11^th. This individual had been identified as Jonathan Julio Toro, 23 years old, resident of 1st blk. S. Prince St., Lancaster.

Detectives contacted one of the witnesses / victim from the May 6^th Nevin St. burglary attempt and showed him a photographic array which included a photo of Toro. The witness viewed the array and positively identified Toro as the male he saw in his back yard attempting to break into his house.

As a result, Toro was charged with Criminal Attempt to Commit Burglary and Criminal Mischief for the Nevin St. incident, and Criminal Attempt to Commit Burglary for the Mulberry St. incident. All charges were filed by Detective Toby Hickey before MDJ Bruce Roth. An arrest warrant was issued.

At 5:31 p.m., May 11^th, Lancaster City Police officers went to Toro’s apartment in the 1^st blk. of S. Prince St. Officers attempted to make contact but Toro refused to open the door. Toro jumped out of a 2^nd floor window and fled on foot. He was captured in the 100 blk. of E. Mifflin St. and taken into custody after a foot pursuit. Toro is being held for arraignment.

The above incidents and additional burglaries remain under investigation. Investigators received information that Toro may have been attempting to sell items that may have been stolen. Anyone who may have recently purchased items from Toro is asked to please contact City Police, as these items are possibly stolen property.

Anyone with information is urged to call Lancaster City Police at (717) 735-3300 or Lancaster City-County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-322-1913. You can also click the Submit a Tip button on our website, www.lancasterpolice.com, or Text a Tip to Crime Stoppers by texting LANCS plus your message to 847411. Tipsters may remain anonymous and do not have to give their names.    

***The Lancaster Bureau of Police is respectfully requesting that the media limit what is published to that which is on this news release. Should the media become aware of any additional information, particularly the names of any witnesses, victims, or Lancaster residents in this case, it is requested that they refrain from publishing that information so as not to jeopardize the safety of anyone nor this ongoing investigation.***

All persons accused of a crime are considered innocent until proven guilty in court.