Suspect Arrested in Danville Piggybank Burglaries

A 25-year-old man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of a string of home burglaries in Danville and Blackhawk, according to Danville Police Chief Steve Simpkins.

Danville resident Charles E. Ratazak was arrested on the 100 block of Narcissus Court at about 11:30 a.m. He is facing charges of residential burglary, possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance for sale and a probation violation.

“This was a great example of police officers working with the community,” Simpkins said. “Our officers were getting excellent information from the residents being affected in these burglaries, and they were able to use it to make an arrest and bring peace of mind to the neighborhood.”

Ratazak was originally arrested last week in connection to the burglaries, but no charges were filed at that time, and he was released while officers gathered more evidence.

"We needed a little bit more time to complete the investigation," Simpkins said. "We wanted to present the stongest case possible to the district attorney."

In December, Danville police began receiving multiple reports of burglaries in town. One resident, using a video camera, caught a burglary in progress in their CA Meadows home.

(Related: Burglar Makes Himself at Home in Danville — Returning Multiple Times and Even Taking Kid's Piggybank)

In Blackhawk, another resident said they, too, had been burglarized multiple times since December. Like the burglary in CA Meadows, the burglar was suspected of taking a jar of coins.

(Related: Piggybank Bandit Strikes Again?)

Patch will update this article when more information is available.