Police Sgt. Michael Pace immediately suspected who the serial burglar was when he noticed the thief was using plastic tabs in doorways to commit hundreds of burglaries in Capitol Hill.
Pace’s father, William, a retired Denver burglary detective, helped put Jeffery Bernard Trott in prison in 1991 for committing several burglaries using the same plastic tabs.
When Pace’s son Michael went to school to study criminal justice at Metropolitan State College of Denver, he wrote a term paper on career criminals using Trott as a case study.
Six months ago, Michael Pace joined the burglary unit, and Trott’s “significant and unique” modus operandi chronicled in his term paper jumped out at him.
In his prior cases, Trott used clear plastic tabs in doorjambs. When residents came or went, marks would be left on the tabs. This way, Trott knew when he could break in without a struggle, Pace said.
“The MO is so unique and efficient that you can only identify it as being his,” Pace said. “He was a great study of burglary.”
Pace’s father, retired for eight years, immediately recognized the MO and confirmed to his son that Trott was probably active again.
“He was certain right away it was him, and he could not believe he was back in business,” the younger Pace said.
Trott, 51, went to prison in 1973, 1980 and 1991 for burglary. He was paroled in 1995.
On Monday, Denver police and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives went to Trott’s apartment in the 300 block of East 11th Avenue and arrested him on suspicion of burglary and trafficking in firearms.
The ATF got involved in the case a couple of months ago when, officials allege, Trott sold several stolen handguns to an undercover agent. They say Trott sold 10 weapons, including 9mm, .357-caliber, .40-caliber and .45-caliber handguns, on two separate occasions for a total of $1,400.
The ATF built a case along with Denver police and served the warrants on Trott on Monday.
Hundreds of stolen items worth thousands of dollars reportedly were found stacked throughout Trott’s apartment. Among the stolen property: 47 Ziploc bags of jewelry, collectible coins, 17 laptop and desktop computers, electronics, CDs and DVDs, and Indian artifacts.
Police also found tools and training manuals typically used by locksmiths.
Agents said Trott was caught off guard by the arrest and didn’t know he was under surveillance. After his arrest, he reportedly confessed to committing 300 to 400 burglaries.
Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman said Trott’s alleged crimes alone were driving up the burglary rate in Capitol Hill.
Detectives are working through the stolen items.
Trott could spend the rest of his life in prison on the firearms charges alone if he is convicted, said Ray Brown, the ATF’s resident agent in charge.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-820-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
