Man Charged with Waverly Place Home Break-In

South Brunswick, NJ - South Brunswick Police made an arrest Tuesday night in a home break-in near the high school that happened more than a year ago.

The suspect, Leon Pittman, 37, of Willingboro has been charged with breaking into a Waverly Place home in March of 2015.

The case began on Thursday March 12, 2015 at 8:40 p.m., when officers responded to a burglar alarm at the Waverly Place home. Officers arrived within five minutes and discovered a broken rear window of the home. Detective Monica Shearer found physical evidence in addition to video surveillance. The video captured the suspect walking onto the rear deck and breaking into the window.

Detectives submitted the physical evidence for analysis and DNA testing, and worked with police statewide to try and see if the Waverly Place break-in was connected to a string of residential burglaries.

In October 2015 the New Jersey State Police Forensic Lab identified a DNA match, police said. Detective Eric Tighelaar worked to get a search warrant to obtain a cheek swab from Pittman. In February 2016 police were able to take a swab from Pittman and in April, it came back as a match to the evidence at the scene, the State Police lab confirmed.

A warrant was issued charging Pittman with burglary. He surrendered at police headquarters and was processed. He was released after posting $50,000 bail.