Police: 'Peeping tom' allegedly stole $20,000 worth of valuables in Lower Merion Township

LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Residents in a Montgomery County community say they're able to rest a little easier after police arrested a man they say was terrorizing their apartment complex. Not only is he accused of peeping into their windows, police say he's behind the theft of thousands of dollars worth of valuables.

Many residents at The Metropolitan on Wynnewood Road and other surrounding homes may be missing a lot of their belongings after Lower Merion Township police said a man was stealing from their homes.

"I was sleeping in my son's room every single hour looking through my blind, to make sure there wasn't someone looking at me and him," said one resident.

Lamont Barrett, 45, is allegedly the man who has been keeping many residents up at night for months. Lower Merion Township police recently arrested him.

"This was someone that we wanted to get off the street, just based on the severity of the crimes," said Detective Sergeant Vice with Lower Merion Township Police.

Neighbors said a man had been peeping through their windows since August.

"I got a call from my neighbor saying that her window had been slit, and she had a picture of a man who was looking into her window while she was breastfeeding her baby," one resident said.

He allegedly stole around $20,000 worth of belongings from residents in Lower Merion Township, taking anything from high-end jewelry to kid's board games and clothes, and even a doctor's stethoscope.

"I do believe that there are other victims out there that are maybe missing some items, and maybe they aren't aware that they were a victim of a theft or burglary," said Vice.

Many residents said they'll make sure to keep their apartment doors locked from now on.

"It's really nerve-racking, usually you hope that these neighborhoods are secured, and you don't have people like that here, that's crazy," said Jack Breznicky.

Police said there are other charges pending. Barrett is currently being held on $99,000 cash bail and has a preliminary hearing set for Thursday.