A burglar broke into 17 Long Island homes while their occupants were at relatives' wakes, police say.
Suffolk County police said Friday that investigators pieced together the pattern and arrested Justin Altman on Oct. 23, as he was leaving a Mount Sinai home with a bag of stolen jewelry.
Altman has pleaded not guilty to burglary charges. Jail records show he is being held without bond.
Police say the 27-year-old Selden man scoured newspaper death notices and looked up family members' addresses. They say he broke into their homes during their relations' wakes, looking for cash, jewelry and laptop computers.
Altman's lawyer, Phil Solages, declined to comment.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
