Suspect in Serial Burglaries Caught in Hayfield Area: Police

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- Fairfax County Police detectives have charged teenager Nicholas Cormier of the Alexandria area with burglary and grand larceny, after a series of recent residential break-ins in the Hayfield View and Glenwood Mews communities, police announced Thursday.

Police say that after a multi-faceted investigation, detectives charged Cormier, 19, with seven counts of burglary and five counts of grand larceny.

Homeowners in the Hayfield View and Glenwood Mews communities reported a series of residential break-ins between Jan. 10-15, police said. Patrol officers gathered information and provided it to detectives. Members of the local Neighborhood Watch reached out to community members and forwarded more information to officers and detectives, police said. One neighbor also gave valuable surveillance video from his home, according to police.

Detectives were able to quickly develop an accurate suspect description and passed it along to patrol officers, according to police. The Franconia District Station, Crime Prevention Officer spread the word to the affected neighborhoods through the use of the social media platform, “Next Door.”

In the evening hours of Sunday, Jan. 15, an officer responded to a call about a man matching the suspect’s description, acting in a suspicious way, in the 5600 block of Glenwood Mews Drive, police said:

Police said the officer found the man and engaged him in conversation. That man was identified as Nicholas Cormier, police said. During the encounter, the officer noticed that Cormier was wearing jewelry she recognized as being similar to items stolen in at least one burglary, according to police. She photographed the jewelry and sent the photographs to detectives, along with Cormier’s information. The jewelry was positively identified by its rightful owner, police said.

Detectives interviewed Cormier and then compiled all of the information, presented it to a magistrate and obtained arrest warrants for Cormier. He was initially arrested and charged with two counts of burglary on Jan. 15. After further investigation, the remaining charges were placed against Cormier last Thursday, Jan. 19.

Police said that the work by community members and the police department solved the case, and also commended Neighborhood Watch, social media and great police work.

PHOTO of Nicholas Cormier courtesy of FCPD