Arrest made in Beacon Hill break

Police say they have arrested a man in connection with a break-in on Charles Street early Thursday morning.

James Schaff, 55, of Boston, faces multiple breaking and entering charges and was ordered held on $20,000 bail following his arraignment Thursday in Boston Municipal Court. He is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 19.

Boston police said they responded to the area of the Flat of the Hill fashion store at 60 Charles St. around 12:30 a.m. Thursday for a report of a breaking and entering in progress. They were given a description of a suspect who had allegedly broken into the business and was seen fleeing the area.

Surveillance video obtained from the store owner by NBC10 Boston shows that after gaining entrance, Schaff went straight to the cash register but found nothing and left empty handed.

Responding officers said they saw a suspect matching the description walking on Charles Street. As they approached him, he attempted to walk away. The officers stopped him and spoke with him and were able to take him into custody without incident.

Police said they do not know if Schaff's arrest is related to a series of break-ins over the past week on Beacon Hill. But he is a suspect in another break-in on May 7 at a Charles Street business.

Four break-ins were reported between Saturday and Monday on Charles Street near the Boston Public Garden.

According to a police report, officers were called to Soodee, a clothing store at 63A Charles St., on Sunday morning for a report that the business had been broken into. Upon arrival, police observed that a window pane on the door next to the lock had been shattered. The door was ajar and a brick was found on the floor beside the shattered glass.

Inside the store, the officer saw items around the desk where the cash register had been scattered across the floor. The owner responded to the store and conducted an inventory and found that the cash register and a box of rings beside the front door were missing.

Surveillance footage from the store showed that around 11:53 p.m. on Saturday, a male wearing a blue sweatshirt and black pants was seen throwing a brick through the glass, entering the store and pulling the cash register off the desk.

Another police report said officers responded to a breaking and entering on Sunday morning at Remy Creations, a department store at 96 Charles St. When they arrived, police found one of the glass panels in the business door had been shattered just below the doorknob.

An employee told police they walked by the business on their way to Whole Foods on Sunday morning and saw the damaged door. A mannequin had been knocked over and several items behind the counter were tossed around. An iPad worth about $900 was also stolen from the store.

On Monday morning around 4:30 a.m., police responded to a commercial alarm that was sounding at J. Grady Home, a home goods store at 133 Charles St. Upon arrival, officers observed that one of the front door glass panels was shattered on the ground.

While they were still investigating that scene, the officers were advised that there was another commercial alarm activation nearby at 53 Charles St.

When they got there, they found a broken door window, with the door unlocked. The owner was called to the scene and was able to provide police with surveillance video of the suspect breaking into the store. The male suspect was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, black pants and black-and-white sneakers.

The break-ins came as a shock to people in the area, who described Beacon Hill and specifically Charles Street as a quiet area.

"I'm completely surprised," said Alex Greenberg. "Why? It just is unheard of around here. It's a safe area. It's just disappointing."

William Borden, an employee at the Charles Street Supply hardware store, said his boss decided to nail a wooden board to the door of their business as a precautionary measure.

"It was just kind of a surprise," Borden said of the break-ins. "It kind of just makes you open your eyes and it's like, this stuff really happens everywhere, so it's a big deal. Having to really board up the place just tells you it's pretty serious."