POLICE SEE PATTERN IN FAIRFAX THEFTS

By LEON THOMPSON
Messenger Staff Writer

FAIRFAX –– All it took was a phone call from a woman who deemed it strange that two men would come to her door and ask for someone who did not live there.

Hours later, Vermont State Police (VSP) had recovered stolen property from a St. Albans City apartment building, made one arrest and possibly broke open a case involving several burglaries Friday and perhaps more in previous weeks.

Depending on the investigation outcome, police could pursue whether the burglaries are tied to drugs, and there is a list of at least 10 suspects involved, according to VSP Lt. Dan Begiebing. The state has charged one person.

On Dec. 3, Nicole Preston, 23, of Swanton, was arrested and lodged on $1,000 bail at Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility for her alleged involvement in burglaries that occurred in Georgia and Fairfax that day.

On Monday, Preston pleaded innocent to felony possession of stolen property and was released on conditions that did not include cash bail. Her criminal record lists convictions for unlawful trespass and retail theft.

"That's not unusual," said Begiebing, reacting this morning to the no-bail clause in Preston's conditions. "The whole purpose of bail is not to deter crime. The whole purpose of bail is to make sure people show up in court."

Troopers' work began at 10 a.m. Friday, when a Franklin County sheriff's dispatcher relayed information from a Fairfax woman who said two men came to her home, looking for someone who did not live there. (Georgia and Fairfax have contracts with the Sheriff's Office, but deputies were not on contracted patrol hours there at the time.)

The caller gave a detailed description of the vehicle and gave a license plate number. Today, Begiebing was short on specifics about the vehicle and said he would not release the plate number, because some suspects are still missing.

He had not spoken to the caller as of this morning and said he would not release her name, either.

"I don't know that she wants to remain anonymous," he said. "Obviously, there's always a fear of retaliation in a case like this."

As police searched for the vehicle Friday, the VSP fielded several complaints about burglaries in Georgia and Fairfax; they occurred in the late morning and early afternoon.

At 9 p.m., troopers found the vehicle at a Main Street apartment building in St. Albans City. Police seized stolen watches, digital cameras, camcorders, Sony Playstations, jewelry and other items from two apartments in the building.

Some of the evidence was tied to a burglary that occurred in Highgate earlier in the week. Begiebing said that, at this point, nothing directly relates the stolen items to drug activity, but one "person of interest" who was interviewed told police he had purchased crack and marijuana.

"Can I say the people involved did this to buy drugs? No," Begiebing said. "But can I say some of these individuals are involved in narcotics? Probably."

Begiebing said his "policeman's instinct" tells him the Georgia and Fairfax perpetrators also may have burglarized homes in Underhill, Jericho, Westford and Cambridge over the last few weeks.

"They used the same mode of burglary in those cases," Begiebing explained.

He is unsure if those burglaries are related to others that occurred on Bishop and High streets in St. Albans City late last week. Burglars have plagued City homeowners and businesses recently.

What makes the Georgia and Fairfax robberies unusual, Begiebing said, is that the burglars are not "skulking around in the dark." They approach homeowners in broad daylight. If someone is home, they cover themselves via lies. If residences are vacant, they break in and look around.

Also, Begiebing said, males typically commit burglaries, but these cases involve females. He pointed to a Nov. 29 burglary at the Enosburg Country Club during which two to three males and possibly two females stole alcohol and Christmas presents from the restaurant.

The presents were recovered in an Enosburg apartment building attic, but no charges have been brought.

"Usually, if you have a lady involved in this kind of stuff, she's the car driver or something," Begiebing said. "In these cases, the women are right in there stealing stuff, riding around and going into the homes. It's a more active role than what you usually see."

The country club burglary is not connected to those in Georgia and Fairfax.

"People may think one core group is doing all of the crime in this county," Begiebing said. "Unfortunately, it's not that easy."

He said the average age the Georgia and Fairfax burglars is in the mid-20s, with the youngest being 17. Some of them have young children.

These are not teens out for a rebellious night, to see if it might be fun to rob a home, the lieutenant said.

"They are sustaining themselves like this," he said.

Anyone with more information is asked to call the VSP at 524-5993.