Alexandria police have identified a suspect in more than 20 burglaries in Old Town and he is being held in Washington, D.C., pending transportation to Virginia.
Police have charged Thomas Alvin Milner, 43, with the May 11, burglary of a restaurant at 628 North St. Asaph Street. Security cameras captured this break-in on videotape and those images were distributed to the media with hope of identifying the suspect. Milner was arrested at his home on Hilltop Terrace in Washington, last week. He is being at the D.C. jail pending extradition.
Milner became a suspect in the Old Town burglaries after he was arrested in Alexandria on July 27, for attempting another burglary in Old Town. In that case, officers responded to a report of a burglary in progress at 430 South Washington Street. They discovered Milner walking behind the business. He was arrested and charged with attempted burglary.
Detectives recognized that Milner resembled the suspect that was caught on tape in the May 11, burglary and, upon further investigation, obtained a warrant charging him with that offense.
“We are very pleased that the police have apprehended a suspect in these burglaries,” said Ken Moore, president of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce. “The business owners, especially in Old Town, can now breathe much easier.”
MILNER WAS identified because of security cameras. “This case highlights the importance of good security systems,” said Amy Bertsch, a spokesperson for the Alexandria Police Department. “Business owners who are going to invest in security cameras should make sure that the cameras are kept in good working order and that the tapes are changed regularly. The quality of the image was very important in making this identification.”