A Pennsylvania man is accused of committing a string of burglaries throughout the West Chester area, including one where he allegedly stole a body armor vest and a badge from a police patrol car. Lawrence Dass, 27, of Brookhaven, has been charged with five counts of burglary and other related offenses, according to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office. The criminal complaint filed by the West Chester Borough Police Department indicates that Dass committed multiple burglaries in August of 2024. Officials said investigators used a combination of video surveillance, fingerprint evidence, and DNA evidence to identify Dass as the perpetrator of all the crimes and linked him to the theft of a West Chester Police Officer’s body armor vest and badge from a patrol car. Dass was arrested on Jan. 14 and is currently held at Chester County Prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 21. “Burglars destroy our sense of security in our homes. Thanks to a combination of good police work and an ability to leverage technology during the investigation, West Chester is a safer place,” Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said in a news release. West Chester Borough Police Chief Joshua Lee stated, “West Chester Detectives are working tirelessly to determine how many other burglaries this defendant is linked to. We are thankful for the cooperation from the community and numerous law enforcement agencies.” Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact the West Chester Borough Police Department at (610) 696-2700. Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.