Erie police said surveillance video and tips from the public helped investigators identify a city man accused of attempting to break into two Erie residences on the early morning of June 11.
Investigators are now looking into whether the man might be connected to any other similar crimes as detectives investigate a recent rash of burglaries that have occurred throughout Erie.
Walter J. Hatcher, 55, was jailed on $50,000 bond Tuesday night following his arraignment on charges including two first-degree felony counts of burglary. Police accuse him of trying to enter residences in the 300 block of Marsh Street and the 3300 block of Cherry Street in a roughly 20-minute time span on the early morning of June 11, and taking unknown items from a shed at one of the residences, according to information in his criminal complaint.
The victims in both cases were women, and both were reportedly asleep at the time of the attempted burglaries, investigators wrote in the complaint.
According to police, surveillance video at the Marsh Street residence showed a suspect attempting to enter the residence through a window, but fleeing after failing to make entry. Video at the Cherry Street residence showed a suspect opening a screen window but not making entry, then walking to a shed and later leaving carrying a garbage bag containing unknown items, investigators wrote in the complaint.
Erie police posted an image of the suspect taken from surveillance video on the department’s Facebook page and asked for assistance in identifying the suspect. Tips from the public helped in identifying Hatcher, an investigator said Wednesday.
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Erie police took Hatcher into custody on the city’s west side on Tuesday afternoon, according to city police arrest records.
A lawyer for Hatcher was not listed on his criminal docket sheet.
Erie police continue to investigate a recent rash of burglaries throughout the city. In a number of the incidents, entry was made into residences through windows and items including electronics and jewelry were taken, Lt. Earl Matson, who heads the Erie Bureau of Police Burglary Unit, said Wednesday.
Contact Tim Hahn at [email protected]. Follow him on X @ETNhahn.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie man charged in two attempted home burglaries on city’s west side
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