By Jo-Anne MacKenzie
jmackenzie@derrynews.com
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DERRY — Derry police arrested a Hampstead man Aug. 26 on burglary charges, the latest of several arrests this summer related to burglaries in town over the past nine months.
Scot E. Jalbert Jr., 23, was arrested in Derry District Court, where he was dealing with unrelated charges, according to police. He remains jailed; his bail for the most recent charges was set at $5,000 personal recognizance.
Police said Jalbert took two bags of baby products from Hannaford on Manchester Road in Londonderry on Jan. 31. Police tried to detain him at the time, but Jalbert fled. Police said he also participated in a residential burglary on Warner Hill Road in Derry on Jan. 28.
He is charged with burglary, theft and resisting detention.
Derry police have arrested three other burglary suspects this summer and are looking for two more. But despite the arrests, Capt. Vernon Thomas said it hasn't really made a dent in the number of burglaries, which are up significantly over last year.
"It's mainly related to drug use," Thomas said.
Tamra Reed-Matheson, 24, of Manchester was arrested at the police station Monday and charged with misdemeanor theft of UPS packages from a residence on Stark Road on Dec. 22. She was held on $5,000 cash bail.
David M. Pento, 24, of Derry was arrested at his home Aug. 17. He is charged with two counts of burglary related to crimes Jan. 28 on Warner Hill Road and Feb. 18 on Olesen Road, where guns, jewelry, electronics and money were stolen.
Pento was held on $20,000 cash bail.
Christopher Gebala, 23, of Derry was arrested June 30 and charged with receiving stolen property related to property stolen in a burglary in December. He was released on $3,000 personal recognizance.
Police also hold active arrest warrants for Jessica Miller, 23, and Stephen Decarolis, 26. Police said there are no known addresses for the two, but they are believed to be local.
Miller is wanted as an accomplice to burglary and receiving stolen property based on crimes earlier this year.
Decarolis is wanted on burglary, theft and receiving stolen property charges from local burglaries.
Decarolis and Miller are reportedly husband and wife.
Police Friday said they anticipate more arrests soon.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Decarolis or Miller, or with information about burglaries in town, is asked to call police at 432-6111.
Thomas said most burglaries are crimes of opportunity. Typically, a would-be burglar will go up to a door, knock, and if no one is home, enter and steal, he said.
Residents should pay attention to what's going on in their neighborhoods, keep all doors and windows locked, and generally make it as difficult as possible for people to enter, Thomas said.
And if anyone is suspicious of anything, call police.
"We'd rather be called and not be needed, than be needed and not be called," he said. "That's our job. We are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It's our responsibility to respond to things you think are suspicious."
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