A 60-year-old Southeast D.C. man is facing a long list of charges after police say they tied him to a string of overnight break-ins at local businesses. Investigators spent months tracking the case before linking nine forced-entry burglaries, along with related property damage, carried out between late October and late February. The man was taken into custody Monday and charged in connection with the alleged spree.
According to a press release from the Metropolitan Police Department, detectives connected incidents that occurred from Oct. 22, 2025, through Feb. 21, 2026. The reported burglaries targeted businesses along Alabama Avenue SE, East Capitol Street SE, Marion Barry Avenue SE and Pennsylvania Avenue SE. The release lays out the police report numbers for each case and describes how investigators linked the incidents. On Monday, Feb. 23, officers arrested 60-year-old Andrew Lee Barnes and charged him with nine counts of Burglary Two and five counts of Destruction of Property.
How Detectives Linked the Overnight Hits
"In each offense, the suspect forcibly gained entry into the closed business and began taking property items before fleeing the location on foot," the department wrote in its release. That shared pattern helped detectives connect the series of burglaries. The statement also credits the Metro Transit Police Department with assisting in the arrest.
Charges, Court Process Still Ahead
As reported by WUSA9, Barnes was identified by name and age in the department’s notice, which did not include any court dates. All charges remain allegations at this stage and must be proven in court, and Barnes is presumed innocent until convicted.
