Durham man charged in multiple break-ins

The thefts were primarily of copper and other metal items.

Edward Daniel Guterl, 33, was arrested on Monday after police were dispatched to a break-in in progress call in the 200 block of South Guthrie Avenue.

When officers arrived, they found a man inside the house next to an air conditioning unit, police said. The man, identified later as Guterl, had a pair of bolt cutters. Officers found a second air conditioning unit that had been damaged.

Investigators charged Guterl with burglaries and larcenies at residences on Liberty Street, Miami Boulevard, Lathrop Street, Holloway Street, East Main Street, Maple Street, Young Street, Clay Street, Raynor Street, Park Avenue and Hyde Park Avenue. Most of the residences were vacant or under renovation.

In some cases, appliances were stolen from the homes. Three of the incidents happened on the same day.

Guterl was being held under a $300,000 bond in the Durham County jail on Monday night. He also faces five counts of larceny after breaking and entering, one count of possession of burglary tools, one count of injury to property and one count of possession of stolen property.

Guterl was arrested for a similar offense in July, police said. Officers were dispatched to a break-in in progress on Evelyn Street on July 8 and found Guterl in the attic near a damaged air conditioning unit.