DESOTO COUNTY, MS (abc24.com) - He's either one of the worst crooks ever, or one of the weirdest.
Investigators in Mississippi are looking for a guy who's broken into more than a dozen homes in Southaven, Horn Lake and Olive Branch.
But the guy hasn't taken much and cops are stumped about what he's after. He broke into half a dozen homes in Southaven at the end of February. The next week he hit houses in Horn Lake. Now they say he's moved on to Olive Branch.
"A homeowner came home and noticed that his side carport door had been kicked in. He walked on into his house, and when he walked in there was a white male with a goatee, possibly in his 30's, just standing there in his kitchen," says Lt. Scott Evans with the Horn Lake Police Department.
Police say the man ran out of the house and took off in a grey Pontiac minivan. That home is one of about half a dozen they believe the man's broken into in Horn Lake.
But there was nothing missing out of the man's house, even though it had been ransacked.
"Jewelry boxes were dumped out on the counters, but none of the jewelry was missing," says Evans.
Just days earlier in Southaven, three homes on one street were hit. After comparing notes, both Southaven and Horn Lake police think it's the same guy.
"The thing about this that kind of stands out for both of the agencies is that not a lot, if anything, was taken," says Lt. Mark Little with the Southaven Police Department.
"We had four all on the same street and one street over. The same M.O. with the side door kicked open and houses ransacked, but nothing taken," says Evans.
More than one neighbor describes seeing the burglar.
"A witness said, 'Yea we had a white male come out, get into a newer grey minivan and leave,'" Evans tells abc24.com.
"It's kind of scary," says Wayne Sutherland.
Sutherland lives close to homes the man's hit. He's just as stumped as police about why someone would break in, but not take anything.
"It is kind of unusual," agrees Evans. "Wondering what he was looking for. He's looking for something specific."
Cops think the man could be looking for prescription pills, but don't know for sure.
Horn Lake and Southaven police are also touching base with Olive Branch since they've recently had reports there as well.
