Man admits to 10 burglaries in Univ. City Science Center

University Police this weekend arrested a man in connection with a series of burglaries at the University City Science Center complex on Market Street, according to University Police Chief Maureen Rush. West Philadelphia resident Robert Brunson, 38, was caught while allegedly attempting another break-in at a Science Center building on the 3600 block of Market Street at around midnight on Sunday. He confessed to 10 burglaries, police said. Two plainclothes officers patrolling the area made the arrest after spotting "a male whose behavior was akin to someone who was casing for a burglary," Rush said. Police officials said Brunson was carrying a screwdriver, a hammer and a brick at the time of the arrest and had a fresh cut on his hand, believed to be caused during the most recent burglary attempt. University Police detectives, along with investigators from the Philadelphia Police Department's Southwest Detectives Bureau at 55th and Pine streets, used old video surveillance tapes and an eyewitness account to determine that Brunson was the man they were looking for in connection with the other burglaries. The plainclothes officers were then stationed in hopes that Brunson would strike again. According to police officials, Brunson confessed to 10 crimes at the Science Center, but did not take responsibility for an earlier burglary on Locust Walk, which police said resembled the other incidents. Rush explained that the video tapes, the witness and the forensic evidence from the cut on Brunson's hand alone were enough to tie him to the crimes. "It was a good case even without him confessing, but with the totality with him confessing, it's really a slam dunk case," Rush said. Penn Det. Supervisor Bill Danks said that Brunson's bail was set at $54,000, which he was not able to post. He is currently being held in the county prison system in Northeast Philadelphia.

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