Thomas M. Brown Indicted in Greenfields Burglaries

A West Deptford man who allegedly tried to hide in a closet mid-burglary was indicted by a Gloucester County grand jury this week on charges related to two alleged break-ins in April.

Thomas M. Brown, 25, who police said was caught by his next-door neighbor while burglarizing the neighbor’s home in the Greenfields section of the township on April 12, was indicted on two counts of third-degree burglary and one count of third-degree theft by unlawful taking for incidents on April 4 and April 12.

Police said Brown made off with more than $500 in cash and jewelry in the April 4 burglary. Police were unable to recover the jewelry, which they said Brown likely pawned.

In the April 12 incident, police said Brown was inside his neighbor’s home on Holly Drive in the middle of a burglary, when the neighbor unexpectedly arrived home in the late morning.

The neighbor saw Brown duck into a bedroom, police said, and Brown hid in a closet while the neighbor went outside to call the police.

That’s when Brown took off for the woods nearby, police said. He was able to avoid being caught even when West Deptford and Mantua police searched the area, but since his neighbor was able to identify him, West Deptford police issued a warrant for Brown’s arrest.

He was later caught in Woodbury after West Deptford detectives tailed him to a cash-for-gold shop.