Serial Burglar Gets Jail Time in Plea Deal
Christopher 'Matt' Fazzini explained one burglary attempt by telling the homeowner he was stopping by to borrow vanilla so he could bake cookies, according to a report.
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A former Conestoga High School basketball star is headed to jail after admitting to burglarizing several homes in the area, according to the Daily Local News.
Christopher "Matt" Fazzini, 25, was sentenced Tuesday to two to five years in jail as part of a plea deal:
Authorities say that Fazzini and another man from [Tredyffrin], Brendan Burke, burglarized homes on the Main Line they knew were unoccupied, stealing jewelry they could easily pawn for cash. They used the proceeds of their crimes to buy prescription drugs from a drug dealer in Philadelphia, running up tabs as high as $1,000.
The string of crimes the pair was charge with committing stretched from Nov. 26, 2011 to March 2, 2012 and geographically from Malvern to Wayne.
Fazzini once explained his unannounced appearance at a neighbor's house by asking to borrow a cup of vanilla, so he could make cookies for his mother, the paper reports.
The duo caught an unlucky break when they burglarized—still allegedly, in the case of Burke, who faces trial later this month—the neighbor of an eagle-eyed retired state trooper.
According to the article, he apologized in the courtroom to his victims and promised his family he'd work to kick his drug addiction.
Burke is scheduled to be tried on burglary, conspiracy and related charges on March 19.
Read the full story at the Daily Local.
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Bob Byrne
8:52 am on Thursday, March 7, 2013
These guys did not catch an unlucky break, they got caught. Given the intensity of their apparent drug problem it may turn about to be the luckiest thing that ever happened to them.
While drug addiction is a horrible tragedy my sympathies are with the victims of their crimes. Not only were they robbed of material items, they were robbed of trust.
It is a pattern that is being repeated more and all over the Main Line. In fact, police in both Easttown and Tredyffrin have told me repeatedly that the affluence of the Upper Main Line makes it a target for criminals who think it will be easy pickings.
The advice police give over and over and over is to never leave your house or car unlocked and make your home one that is not worth the trouble. While TE is still a wonderful place to live, it is not immune to tis kind of crime and sadly the people committing the crime are often "the kid next door."
Marc
9:14 am on Thursday, March 7, 2013
Bob,
As a follow up to your "advice" above, the police and the Easttown Township Neighborhood Watch group have been telling residents and members for years that most of the crimes in the township are ones of opportunity. Meaning that cars are burgled when they are left unlocked, as it's a rare occurrence that windows are smashed. The same is true for homes, most are walk ins not break ins.
The best advice is to simply lock your car and your home and please call the police if you see anything the least bit suspicious in your neighborhood.
Pete Kennedy
6:25 pm on Thursday, March 7, 2013
True, an arrest can be lucky—or positive, at least—if it helps someone turn his life in a better direction. I probably could have phrased it better.