ARLINGTON — The Arlington Police Department is investigating a series of commercial burglaries that appear to be related.

The suspect or suspects strike during the hours of darkness, and usually make entry by tossing large bricks or rocks through glass windows or glass doors to the businesses.

The suspect or suspects then sometimes remove the bricks or rocks from the businesses when leaving.

One suspect appears to be a stocky Caucasian male, who is usually wearing running suits with baggy pants, such as sweat pants or running pants, and is frequently seen in videos adjusting or pulling his pants up.

It should be noted that video surveillance captured by infrared technology may sometimes reverse the colors of the clothing depicted.

The suspect or suspects have targeted cash registers, looking for money that have may have been left in the tills, but sometimes settle for making off with less valuable merchandise.

In at least one instance, the suspect or suspects broke the glass, then returned approximately 30 minutes later, possibly testing for the alarm and/or police response.

It appears that there may be additional burglaries with similar modus operandi occurring up the I-5 corridor, possibly including Mount Vernon.

The Arlington Police Department’s point of contact is Detective Sgt. Dan Cone at 360-403-4609 and dcone@arlingtonwa.gov.