Montgomery County Police arrested a 29-year-old Riverdale man after watching him break into a Potomac home on Enid Drive where a 92-year-old resident was asleep inside.

Anderson Javier Santacruz Gallegos was charged with residential burglary and is being held without bond. Investigators have since linked him to a string of home break-ins stretching back to July, Patch reported, citing a police announcement released Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Officers observed Santacruz Gallegos knock on the front door of the Enid Drive home on Wednesday, Sept. 23, according to MoCoShow. When no one answered, he went to the rear and forced his way inside. Officers arrested him when he returned to a 2024 black Toyota Camry parked nearby.

The 92-year-old resident was not injured.

Police said investigators determined Santacruz Gallegos used the same method at each target: knock on the front door, and if no one responded, force entry from the back. Items taken were primarily jewelry, watches and coins.

Detectives obtained an arrest warrant connecting Santacruz Gallegos to four additional burglaries in the Silver Spring area: July 29 on Holdridge Road, Aug. 25 on Xaveria Drive, and two on Sept. 21 on Gadsden Avenue and Cliftonbrook Lane. Additional victims have been identified in Montgomery County's 1st District and in Howard County, according to Daily Voice.

After the arrest, police executed a search warrant at Santacruz Gallegos' Riverdale residence and recovered suspected stolen property, including jewelry. He was charged with additional residential burglary offenses. Some stolen property has already been returned to owners.

The Montgomery County Police Department's (MCPD) 4th District Investigative Section published 35 photos of recovered jewelry on Flickr and is asking anyone who recognizes the items or believes they were burglarized to call 240-773-5530. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Solvers of Montgomery County at 866-411-8477.