UPPER WEST SIDE — A serial burglar who was fired from his job as dog walker after being caught on tape grabbing a resident's jewelry was arrested for burglarizing a host of neighborhood apartments, police said.
Dennis Logu, 24, of The Bronx, repeatedly burglarized apartments along West 77th Street, as well as on Amsterdam Avenue, West 76th Street, West 87th Street and West 88th Street, according to police and a criminal complaint filed with the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
By climbing up fire escapes, hopping fences and forcing his way into buildings, Logu got inside apartments to steal laptops, iPads, jewelry, watches, electronics, checks from a checkbook and even a jar of change, the complaint said.
Logu was first spotted attempting to steal jewelry on Feb. 27 inside a woman's apartment at 131 W. 77th St. between Amsterdam and Columbus avenues, officials said.
At the time, he was working for local pet-service company Gotham Pups and had access to the apartment to feed the homeowner's cats. The resident had cameras installed in her apartment, and video surveillance she watched from another location showed Logu going into her bedroom and grabbing jewelry, according to the DA.
Gotham Pups told Logu he had been caught on video after hearing from the tenant and immediately fired him, owner Charles Allen said.
The company was "horribly embarrassed" that Logu had them "duped," added Allen, noting that Logu had been employed for about six months and did not have a criminal record when he was hired.
"After we got rid of him [Logu] went on a full-on [burglary] spree," he said. "Unfortunately some people go south."
After his firing, Logu began a two-week crime spree that ended with his arrest on March 30 through a joint effort by the 24th and 20th precincts, police said.
He returned to West 77th Street on March 14 around 3 p.m., this time stealing a laptop from a man's apartment at 131 West 77th St., the DA said.
A little more than a week later, in March 22, he stole electronics, jewelry and a jar of change from a woman's apartment inside 349 Amsterdam Ave. between West 77th and 78th streets at around noon. Surveillance videos showed Logu carrying the jar of change as he left the building, the DA said.
The next day, around 12:30 p.m., Logu stole an iPad, watches and other items from a man's apartment at 6 W. 87th St.
The following morning, on March 24 at around 11 a.m., Logu stole a laptop from an apartment inside 8 W. 76th St.
He then returned to West 77th Street a few days later on March 27, breaking into an apartment at 103 W. 77th St. around 12:30 p.m. and stealing checks from a woman's checkbook, the DA said. Details about the additional personal property he took from the apartment were not available.
About three hours later, he opened a woman's bedroom window at the building next door, 105 W. 77th St., when he saw her inside. She said, "hello" and he responded, "oh sorry" before fleeing, the DA said. Logu later admitted to police he'd been trying to break into her apartment.
Three days later, on March 30 around 2 p.m., Logu was seen hopping fences and turning a doorknob at 16 W. 88th St. near Central Park West, but he did not get inside the building, the DA said.
About an hour later, Logu returned to 103 W. 77th St. where he donned a black ski mask and tried unsuccessfully to get into an apartment through a window, the DA said.
Minutes later, he moved next door and tried to enter another apartment at 105 W. 77th St. via the fire escape, but was arrested, authorities said.
At the time of his arrest, Logu was carrying a knife, a hammer and other tools he admitted he used to break into apartment buildings, the DA said. He had a stolen watch and stolen checks on him at the time, the DA said.
Logus was charged with five counts of second-degree burglary, three counts of attempted burglary, possession of a burglar's tools, three counts of criminal possession of stolen property, and one count of attempted petit larceny, according to the criminal complaint.
"We’re happy to have him in," 20th Precinct Capt. Levon Holley said at a meeting Monday.
"He was hurting the Upper West Side," added 24th Precinct Deputy Inspector Marlon Larin, adding the two precincts worked together to track Logu down.
Logu is currently being held on $40,000 bail or $50,000 bond, according to city records.
The state Department of Corrections did not have an existing criminal record for Logu.
His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
