Portland police have arrested a local woman in connection with one of a series of nighttime home burglaries in the West End and Libbytown and may bring other charges.

Dorothy Fickett, 37, was arrested Wednesday at 12:45 p.m.

She was indicted by a Cumberland County grand jury last week on a charge of burglary.

Fickett was also arrested on a burglary charge in August following a nighttime burglary on May Street.

Fickett cut or removed screens and entered homes through unlocked or open windows, police said in a statement.

Police say they are still trying to determine whether Fickett is responsible for any of the other burglaries in those areas of the city.

Police say nighttime burglaries are particularly worrisome because they put often desperate criminals in close proximity to homeowners, which could lead to confrontations and serious injuries. Police say Fickett stole cash, small electronics and clothing.

Tracing the stolen merchandise, such as small electronics, has been difficult because many people do not record the serial numbers of their property, said Lt. James Sweatt.

One technique people can use if they have a mobile device with a camera is to take a digital picture of the serial number whenever they make a purchase and email it to themselves as a record, he said.

David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@mainetoday.com

Twitter: @Mainehenchman

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