From Wellesley Police Department:

The Wellesley Police Department is investigating several breaks into unoccupied homes that occurred overnight, and possible ties to an arrest made by the Newton Police Department.

The incidents began at 1:55 AM on Jan. 20, when a resident of Orchard Street called to report hearing breaking glass and seeing footprints in the snow near his home. Responding officers found a screen had been cut and a basement window broken, but it did not appear entry had been gained. Officers followed footprints in the newly fallen snow to another home on Orchard. There they discovered an open door and entered to check the home, but found it vacant. It appeared the home had been entered but the owners were not home and it is unclear what, if anything, was missing.

Officers continued to follow the footprints which brought them to a home on Washington Street, also vacant, which had been entered. Officers checked that home but it was empty. During the search, Wellesley police officers communicated with the Newton and Weston police departments, and Weston officers joined in the search for the subject. Officers found that the subject had slashed the screen of a porch at a home on Glen Road, but did not get into the home.

As officers were following the footprints and searching the neighborhood, they heard a call for a break in Newton near the Wellesley town line. Newton police officers responded to the scene and caught a man inside the home. He was arrested by Newton police and charged with the break.

At this time, Wellesley detectives are processing several scenes and investigating the man’s ties to the Wellesley breaks. In addition to the breaks described here, officers followed the footprints to the doors and windows of approximately ten homes in the neighborhood.