Good news for south Stapleton: a garage burglar who has been prowling the alleys since last August has been caught. Joshua Baxter, age 40, the man seen creeping into a garage in this photo, was apprehended by District 5 police on April 21.

According to Lt. Ian Culverhouse, a graveyard shift police officer routinely patrolling the neighborhood noticed Baxter out at night, stopped him, and checked his identification. When he gave the information to District 5 detectives the next morning, they were able to match Baxter through comparing a previous mug shot to the video images recorded by a resident’s security camera.

Baxter has now confessed to numerous garage burglaries, primarily in the Stapleton area. According to Lt. Culverhouse, Baxter had originally just scavenged for abandoned bikes, but tempted by the number of open garage doors in the area, he began entering garages and stealing items late last summer.

Charges will be filed with the D.A.’s office, but due to his prolific activity, police are still piecing together the cases. So far, police have recovered 16 complete bikes, six bike frames, 12 rims, five bike racks, and three fenders from his East Montclair apartment. Some have been matched to owners, but police believe that there may be unreported thefts in the area and are urging the public to come forward.

If you’ve had a bike stolen within the last nine months and can describe it, please get in touch with Det. Bryan Gordon at 720.913.1439 or bryan.gordon@denvergov.org.