Police: 'Polite Burglar' Strikes Again In Winchester

WINCHESTER (CBS) -- The "Polite Burglar" appears to have struck again in Winchester.

Early Wednesday morning, a woman told police she woke up to a man standing in her house. She asked him to leave, and after a short period, he did, police said.

The description of the man is consistent with other October incidents in Woburn and Winchester in the Horn Pond area, according to police.

The break-ins follow a pattern: the man enters a home through windows in the first floor or basement. He acts on his own, and when confronted, residents say he is polite and apologetic as he runs away, police said.

"It's very creepy, you can't imagine what he's thinking," neighbor Cis Battinell said. "I would think he's capable of anything at that point."

And police say they believe the man could turn violent and should be considered dangerous.

"Outward behavior should not lull residents into a false sense of security," Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo said in October. "This is a dangerous felon who breaks into people's homes, often while they are asleep inside."

The man is described as a dark-skinned Hispanic or light-skinned African-American man, about 6 feet tall, in his early 20s with black marks or acne scars on his face. He has been seen wearing a dirty, light-gray zip-up hooded sweatshirt and dark pants, police said.

"We never locked our door much, but we do know," said neighbor Tom Killian, who knows the victim. "It's a bit unsettling, for sure."

Anyone with information is asked to call police.

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