Alleged burglar stole $20,000 in valuables from home listed for sale

GLENDALE, Ariz. — An alleged burglar was caught targeting homes listed for sale around the Valley, Glendale Police said.

According to court records, Michael Bergstrom stole more than $20,000 worth of valuables from a home near 59th Avenue and the Loop 101 in November. 

The people selling the home no longer lived there, but it was staged with furniture and electronics for potential buyers to see.

The reported stolen items included expensive oil paintings, a framed Goonies movie poster, a towel warmer, and an ice maker.

Bergstrom allegedly turned the power at the home off and stole a neighbor’s paddle boat to enter the property, which backed up to a lake.

Bergstrom was seen on the home’s surveillance footage prior to the power being turned off, according to court records.

When detectives went to arrest Bergstrom at his home, they said they found all of those items. Plus, more stuff connected to other cases out of Phoenix, including a jet ski, a dirt bike, and a Vespa.

In nearly every one of those cases, detectives noted the items were stolen from homes listed for sale.

Police said more than $44,000 worth of stolen property was returned to the owners.

Bergstrom is being held on a $25,000 bond.

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