Over $200,000 of jewelry, family heirlooms and electronics were stolen from homes in the east end of Hamilton over the last few months – but it was the hundreds of pairs of missing women’s underwear that tipped off police that they were dealing with one suspect.

“I know it is disturbing,” Det. Sgt. Glenn Jarvie said during a press conference at the east end station Monday morning.

In late July, police determined a series of break ins they were investigating in the east end and east Mountain were linked together. Over the course of four months, many random homes were broken into, police say.

“He would go up and knock on the door and if no one answered, he would target the back of the property,” Jarvie said.

Jewelry, cell phones and video games were all stolen – but the fact that women’s underwear was missing from each home led police to believe they were dealing with a single suspect. That helped police identify him, Jarvie said.

“We were also fortunate that one of the neighbours had video in their house,” he said.

On Nov. 13, police carried out a search warrant at a Weir Street South home, and found hordes of stolen property stashed in a closet. Some of the stolen goods were caked in mud. The man was making his getaway from the crime scenes on a bike, police say, so it’s possible that items had fallen off on his way home.

A 23-year-old man was arrested and held for a bail hearing. He has been charged with six counts of break and enter, attempted entry, nine counts of possession of burglary tools and four counts of failing to comply with a recognizance.

The man was already known to police, Jarvie said, but he wouldn’t talk about the other charges he was facing as they are “currently before the courts.” The man was operating on his own, police say.

Police also found forensic materials left at the crime scenes, but Jarvie wouldn’t specify if that included fingerprints, blood, or other bodily fluids.

Detectives are now following up on the recovered stolen property in an attempt to identify it and return it to its rightful owners. Police believe that they’ve recovered property from another estimated 20 to 30 homes that have been broken into.

“And some of these things have been passed down from family to family from generation to generation,” Jarvie said. “It’s that personal invasion. You never ever feel safe again in your own home.”

Anyone who believes that their property has been stolen from a robbery in the east end area that might have been recovered by police can call 905-546-2406.