Updated at 5:31 p.m.
A burglar who pilfered items from Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger’s home earlier this year entered the house through a back door that was not fully secured, police said.
The thief did not have to force his way into Weinberger’s Hill Section home, according to police records from the incident, because “there was a broken key in the back door deadbolt that could be used to unlock the door.”
That door, on the east side of the mayor’s Summit Street residence, was found open when Weinberger’s family reported the burglary, records show.
The break-in occurred on the afternoon of Jan. 25 while no one was home, police said. The burglar stole valuable jewelry from the house, including some family heirlooms and pieces from high-end jeweler Tiffany & Co.
“The suspect primarily focused on rummaging through areas with likely high value items,” reported one officer who surveyed the scene.
The entrance used by the suspect had a broken doorknob, though Weinberger indicated to officers that it was already damaged, the records said. “There is a key that had broken off and one could use a tool to turn the key to open the door,” according to the police.
The burglar left footprints in the snow on Weinberger’s yard that matched a tread found near the site of other burglaries, police said. Officers were not able to track the footprints, however, because their trail disappeared when the suspect reached the plowed sidewalk.
Police did not connect the incident with Weinberger’s role as mayor in their preliminary investigation, according to the documents.
VTDigger obtained the police documents through a public records request. Multiple police officials did not respond to inquiries about the investigation’s status.
Jordan Redell, a spokesperson for Weinberger, said the mayor’s family has “long been diligent about locking the doors to their house,” in keeping with what police advise is best practice.
“The Mayor was unaware that the tiny fragment of the broken key extending beyond the surface of the lock of their back door represented a security threat,” Redell said in a statement. “Perhaps others can benefit from this unwelcome lesson.”
The Hill Section is the site of more burglaries than any other Burlington neighborhood, police department data shows. While larcenies in the city have jumped since a relative low in 2019, its current numbers are far below what they were a decade ago.
Burlington had about 1,100 larcenies in 2021, 45% more than the annual average for the past five years, data shows.
In a statement at the time of the break-in, Weinberger praised the police department for its handling of the situation.
“I am grateful to the officers who responded quickly and professionally, and who work every day to keep Burlingtonians safe,” Weinberger said.
Clarification: This story and its headline were edited after publication to include additional information from police reports.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Police: Broken key enabled burglary at Burlington mayor’s house.
