Upper East Side Burglary Suspect Arrested, Police Say

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A man is facing charges in connection with a rash of burglaries on the Upper East Side, police told Patch. But additional suspects in neighborhood robberies are still on the loose, police said.

James Leon, a 55-year-old East Harlem resident, has been charged with 6 counts of burglary and is currently being held in jail for $50,000 bond, according to police and court records. Police tied Leon to two March burglaries, where he and an accomplice broke into two East 91st Street apartment building.

The burglaries occurred March 21 sometime between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., police said. Leon is accused of stealing an Apple laptop, Louis Vuitton bag, a watch, jewelry, Beats headphones and a check book from an apartment, police said. The men also broke into another apartment but didn't take anything, police said.

The second suspect in the burglaries has not been taken into custody, police said. A third suspect in an unrelated neighborhood robbery has also avoided arrest.

Police on the Upper East Side have been educated neighborhood residents about crime prevention following an uptick in area burglaries. Between Feb. 10 and the end of March there were 10 reported home burglaries on the Upper East Side, police said.

Police are reminding Upper East Siders not to rely solely on slam locks. Residents should always lock their deadbolt when leaving home, as slam locks can be easily broken by burglars, according to police.\

Leon is due in court on April 12, according to court records. In addition to the burglary counts, Leon is currently facing assault charges for an August 2016 domestic violence incident, according to court records.

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