By Mary O’KEEFE

Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s burglary statistics increased in the fall of 2010 in part due to a very busy local man.

Anders Goodman, 24, of La Crescenta has been charged with 21 counts of burglary and attempted burglary.

Goodman would allegedly walk into a person’s home, many times when the resident was inside the home, and steal a variety of items.

“It is unusual for a burglar to break into homes in the daytime when people are home,” said Sgt. Ray Harley.

“He [allegedly] said he always had something to say,” said Det. Frank Diana. If someone would confront Goodman, “He would ask if Sean was home.”

Diana relayed one case where a woman allegedly confronted Goodman in her home.

“He used his [line] saying he was looking for Sean. She didn’t know of anyone named Sean. He tried to go out a glass door but she told him that was broken so he walked past her and went out the front door,” Diana said.

He stole a variety of items from umbrellas to television sets.

“He [allegedly] stole this 42 inch T.V. and was carrying it down the street,” Diana said.

Goodman burglarized on foot, walking from house to house.

“He [reportedly] said that if he saw someone driving down the street he would just walk down the [nearest] driveway,” he said.

Diana added no one noticed anything unusual because Goodman looked like he belonged in the neighborhood.

Goodman allegedly took property from homes near his own home on Glenwood Avenue.  Det. Diana said the burglaries attributed to the suspect were bordered by Pennsylvania to Rosemont avenues and Foothill Boulevard to Markridge Road.

On Oct. 24 a man reported that he was awakened by someone knocking on his front door. At first he ignored it and went back to sleep but then decided to go the door. There was no one there. As he was returning to his bedroom he saw a man matching Goodman’s description prying his back door open. He confronted the man who told him he was looking for Sean. The man then fled. Later a woman reported that she had been burglarized in an area near where the first man had allegedly confronted Goodman. Both parties called the sheriff’s station.

Then another woman called the station and reported that she saw a man walking down the street with her backpack that had been stolen a few days earlier.

Deputies arrived and found Goodman dressed in a woman’s stolen raincoat with a stolen umbrella and several other items that had been reported stolen.

“We found more at his home,” Diana said.

Goodman is now facing a substantial amount of time in jail, Diana said.

  burglar arrested