Police have arrested a suspected jewelry thief after linking DNA left on jewelry boxes in two burglarized North Branford homes to a former Enfield man.
On Oct. 13, two North Branford residents who live within a mile of each other reported burglaries in their homes. Someone had crashed the exterior door of the houses and stolen large amounts of jewelry taken from jewelry boxes, police said.
Police questioned a suspect for a burglary in East Haven, but had no evidence to tie him the North Branford burglaries, police said.
Then, DNA evidence revealed that the same person had handled both jewelry boxes and it matched DNA from for the criminal database, police said.
Police applied for an arrest warrant and arrested Thomas Cushman, 53, a former Enfield man who is now listed as homeless. He was charged with two counts of third-degree burglary and first-degree larceny.
He was held in custody of the State Marshals on a $10,000 court set bond after being arraigned.
