CHARLESTON, W.Va.— After the recent string of burglaries committed in South Hills, Charleston Police Chief Steve Cooper said in a press conference Monday that break-ins in the area should go down, but officers will be patrolling the area.
Joseph Daniel Hardwick allegedly had been targeting houses including residences Dogwood Road and Meadow Crest Drive.
“We will have additional police presence,” Cooper said. “The fact that Mr. Hardwick has been arrested, though, and he is incarcerated we believe reduces the chances of more burglaries happening there.”
Cooper said Hardwick went on a drug-fuelled crime spree, breaking into numerous homes in the South Hills area, as well as other communities.
“He actually admitted to us that he was scouting neighborhoods,” Cooper said. “He would look for a home that appeared to be nice or that he may see something valuable through a window and mark it down to come back later to burglarize.”
Over $9,000 of guns were taken from the home on Meadow Crest Drive as well as numerous pieces of jewelry.
“He has been charged with that, he’s been charged with the burglary, as well as other burglaries, and now this jewelry that we have here we can definitely connect to Mr. Hardwick. We just don’t have a victim yet to return the jewelry to,” Cooper said.
Cooper said homeowners to take the proper precautions to prevent their home from being broken into.
“Keep an eye on your neighbor’s home” he said. “If there’s a suspicious vehicle in the neighborhood, call and report it, someone who looks like they may be lurking or scouting, please call us and let us come and check those individuals out.”
Cooper doesn’t want those living in the burglarized areas to be worried.
“We don’t recommend anyone be scared,” he said “We just recommend they be vigilant and alert and please call us.”
Story by Jordyn Johnson