Man Charged In One Washington Daytime Home Burglary

Washington police believe they have solved the series of recent daytime burglaries with the arrest of a local man.

Police stopped a vehicle Thursday night and arrested the passenger, Raymond A. Bell, 30, Washington, who was under investigation as a person of interest in the burglaries. Drug paraphernalia was found in the car, according to police.

Friday afternoon, Detective Kevin Blackburn went to a home on West Third Street where Bell had been staying and spoke with a relative who had read about the burglaries in The Missourian and suspected Bell was involved.

The relative turned over a wicker basket full of jewelry that Bell allegedly brought to the home. The jewelry matched items stolen last Thursday in a home burglary in the 500or parole in previous felony cases.

In April 2010, Bell pleaded guilty to felony drug possession in a July 2010 case and received a two-year prison sentence. He also pleaded guilty to felony drug possession in February 2011 and was given a five-year sentence. He also currently is on probation for second-degree assault in a 2004 case after a judge revoked his probation in that case, according to online records.