Tracking down a thief

RATHDRUM - A 19-year-old Rathdrum man is suspected of several vehicle burglaries in town.

Gary R. Hilbert Jr. was being held at the Kootenai County jail on Tuesday on a $50,000 bond for three counts of burglary, but additional charges are pending, Rathdrum Police Chief Kevin Fuhr said.

"We've seen a huge increase in vehicle burglaries over the past couple months," Fuhr said. "The suspects have been going into unlocked cars, never causing damage, but stealing small electronics."

"We've had dozens of those cases happen."

Fuhr said there were nine vehicle burglaries in a two-block area on Pineview and Vernon during one night last week.

"Officers saw a distinctive boot pattern in the snow that they recognized from the previous night's burglaries and gained suspect information," Fuhr said.

Hilbert lives on Pineview.

Police said he pawned many of the items.

With the assistance of the probation and parole department, police have recovered some of the stolen items.

Fuhr said Hilbert admitted to several burglaries that linked him to the boot prints. Fuhr said that, in some of the cases, a second set of prints were seen in the snow. Police plan to question Hilbert's alleged accomplice, but no charges have been filed.

Hilbert was on probation for drug-related charges.

He was arrested in January 2011 and booked on a warrant charging him with possession of marijuana. In June, he was booked to serve 14 days in jail for two counts of possession of paraphernalia.