JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is asking for help identifying a suspect who they believe was involved in several recent burglaries on the Westside.
Police said the suspect entered multiple homes late at night in the San Juan Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard area over the last two weeks.
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According to JSO, the suspect entered homes that had unlocked doors, and once inside, he “intentionally engaged” with women inside the homes. Once he made his presence known and was seen by the occupant, the suspect ran away, according to police.
In one of the incidents reported around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, a woman told police she walked to her back door to let her dog inside and as she approached the door, she came face to face with the suspect who was inside and had closed the door behind him.
According to the incident report, the woman told police she began to scream at him to leave and he ended up opening the door and running away without saying a word to her.
The woman also told police she had seen that same man before, on Aug. 27, when she reported that she had woken up and saw him standing in her bedroom looking at her.
The report also states the woman had left her bedroom door, which connects to the outside, unlocked by accident.
Another similar incident was reported on that same day, around 1:40 a.m. on Fremont Street.
According to the incident report, a woman said she saw a man in his 20s or 30s looking into her home’s window and that he appeared to be masturbating, but she stated could not see exactly what he was doing. After seeing him, the woman said she shouted at him and he became startled and ran away.
Following these incidents, police want to remind residents of the importance of ensuring access points to their homes are always secured while they’re inside.
Anyone with information about these incidents or the suspect is asked to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500 or JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org. To remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward of up to $3,000 please call First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.