Swansea police allegedly catch ‘serial burglars’ in the act

Swansea police swarmed an apartment complex and say they were able to nab a pair of suspected burglars in the act.

The suspects, Khairi T. Hayes, 18, of Belleville, and a juvenile whose name wasn’t released, were nabbed after police received a call at 4 a.m. Monday about suspicious people looking into cars at the Crystal Lake Apartments.

When Swansea police officer Justin Schutzbach confronted the suspects at the apartment complex in the 3700 block of Round Hill Road, they were wearing dark clothes with hoodie sweatshirts pulled down low to conceal their faces and gloves. Police said they were searching through the trunk of a car at the time.

Swansea Police Chief Steve Johnson believes the suspects may be involved in other burglaries in the area.

“The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department and Belleville Police Department are investigating numerous other vehicle burglaries to determine if they are related to these two subjects’ actions,” Johnson said. “These two burglars were caught because of a citizen who cared and called the Swansea Police Department and good police work by officer Schutzbach.

“This case is a strong reminder of what a positive relationship between citizens, the police and other departments can do to protect all of us,” Johnson said.

After the citizen’s tip, Johnson said Swansea police officers surrounded the area, blocking off potential escape routes before they moved in to confront the suspects.

It was determined that three vehicles were robbed in the apartment parking lot. Police said the car the suspects drove to the scene contained stolen purses, an iPad and other property that was believed to be stolen.

One of the suspects had a realistic-looking toy pistol on him at the time he was arrested.

Hayes was in custody in the St. Clair County Jail Wednesday on $50,000 bail while the juvenile suspect was being held in the St. Clair County Juvenile Detention Center.

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 1:43 PM with the headline "Swansea police allegedly catch ‘serial burglars’ in the act."