A Brockton man was arrested Friday night for allegedly breaking into several Canton residences over the past week, according to the Canton Police Department.

Anthony Brown, 53, had a certain system he employed during his alleged spree of break-ins, police said. He would first try to pry open a bathroom window before breaking in and ultimately fleeing on a bicycle in each reported instance, according to police.

Canton police reported at least four recent occasions of similar break-ins in the town’s Cedarcrest neighborhood alone.

“This series of breaks was particularly troubling because the suspects were striking during hours when it was likely people were actually home,’’ Canton police wrote on their Facebook page.


Police issued an alert with a description of the suspect and his preferred two-wheeled getaway vehicle, along with information about a car that may have been used “in connection’’ with at least one break-in. After Brown allegedly tried to break into another home Friday night, police soon got the tip they were looking for.

Immediately following last night’s break a description of that vehicle and license plate was broadcast over area-wide police radio networks. A short time later, officers and detectives from the Brockton Police Department reported that they had located the suspect vehicle. Canton units responded to the scene where they located items that had been stolen only an hour prior from the Shore Drive residence as well as the bicycle the victim saw fleeing his house earlier in the evening.

Brown, charged with receiving stolen property, was being held on $20,000 bail.