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Burglar Steals Jewelry and Spare Change in 11-Apartment Spree: Police

 Benjamin Guadalupe broke into four apartments at 244 E. 21st St. by going in through the windows, police said.
Benjamin Guadalupe broke into four apartments at 244 E. 21st St. by going in through the windows, police said.
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DNAinfo/Heather Holland

GRAMERCY — A burglar broke into nearly a dozen apartments along the east side of Manhattan over the past two months, swiping jewelry and other items — including a roll of quarters — while leaving the victims' bedrooms in disarray, NYPD said.

Benjamin Guadalupe, 53, broke into 11 apartments in Midtown East, Kips Bay, Gramercy and the Upper East Side, usually by climbing in through a window, before he was caught last week, according to a criminal complaint from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.

He often left the apartments a mess by pouring jewelry onto the beds and tossing items around, police said.

In the first incident, the victim came home to her 330 E. 52nd St. apartment at 12:15 p.m. on Aug. 11 and saw Guadalupe leaving through her window. She later discovered that all she was missing was a roll of quarters, the criminal complaint said.

Guadalupe struck next on Sept. 9, when a woman arriving home at 133 E. 30th St. at about 12:45 p.m. and heard noises coming from the apartment, according to the criminal complaint. The woman left immediately, and when she returned later, she discovered items were missing. 

Guadalupe also burglarized an apartment at 239 E. 58th St. on Sept. 12, another at 44 E. 81st St. on Sept. 15 and two apartments at 219 E. 84th St. on Sept. 26, according to the complaint.

On Sept. 17, he broke into four apartments at 244 E. 21st St. near Third Avenue — only two doors down from the 13th Precinct — by going through the windows, police said.

Guadalupe was arrested on Sept. 30 after a police officer spotted him entering and leaving an apartment building at 512 E. 80th St. without permission, according to the criminal complaint.

When the officer approached him, Guadalupe said he went into the building to use drugs, the complaint said. Police found five packets of heroin while searching him, according ot the complaint.

Guadalupe was charged with burglary, petit larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance. He is due back in court on Oct. 27. His attorney did not respond to a request for comment.