A 73-year-old Oregon man has been charged in connection with a residential burglary and an attempted burglary in Bethesda after detectives linked him to both incidents, according to Montgomery County police.
Michael Spillino, of Newport, Oregon, faces charges of first-degree burglary and attempted first-degree burglary. He is being held at a detention facility in Fairfax County, Virginia, awaiting extradition to Montgomery County.
On October 19, at approximately 8:27am, officers responded to the 6000 block of Broxburn Drive for an attempted burglary. A homeowner told police she was upstairs with her young child when she heard a loud noise and saw a man kicking a rear door. Police said the man then tried to force the door open with an object from the sunroom before leaving. The homeowner photographed him and his vehicle.
On October 26, at approximately 8:35am, officers responded to the 8000 block of Burdette Road for a burglary in progress. The homeowner reported hearing noises and seeing a man looking into her bedroom. He left after she spoke to him.
According to police, security footage showed the suspect arriving in a white Chevrolet Equinox, looking through several windows and entering through an unlocked rear door. He was later seen leaving with stolen property.
Detectives compared photographs and footage from the two incidents and determined that the same suspect and vehicle were involved. They shared the images with surrounding law enforcement agencies.
Fairfax County detectives subsequently located Spillino and linked him to an October 27 residential burglary in their jurisdiction. Police said a search of his vehicle following his arrest recovered property stolen during the Bethesda burglary and evidence related to the Fairfax County case.
