Fairhaven Man Accused in $51K Dartmouth Eyewear Theft

DARTMOUTH (WBSM) — Dartmouth Police arrested a Fairhaven man for allegedly burglarizing the Pearle Vision in Dartmouth recently, and are seeking to connect him to previous break-ins at the same business.

According to police, officers responded at about 4:09 a.m. on Saturday, May 9 to the Pearl Vision Center at 83B Faunce Corner Road. They arrived to find the front door had been smashed, and that glass display cases inside had been damaged and a significant amount of merchandise had been stolen.

Officer Spots Suspect Riding Bicycle Near Crime Scene

During the ensuing search of the area, Officer Peter Canuel located Andre Kerman, 51, of Fairhaven, riding a bicycle in the immediate vicinity. He attempted to speak with Kerman, who instead fled the area on his bike and refused to stop. Police said that Officer Canuel followed Kerman and saw sunglasses falling from a backpack he was carrying.

Once police caught up to Kerman, they said he was found “in possession of a backpack containing numerous pairs of sunglasses with the price tags still attached.”

“Further investigation determined the sunglasses belonged to Pearle Vision and were valued at approximately $51,000,” police said.

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They said a sledgehammer was also found in a bush in the immediate area, and that Kerman later admitted to using the sledgehammer to break into the business’s window and display cases.

Charges Against Kerman

Kerman was arrested and charged with breaking and entering into a building in the nighttime to commit a felony, larceny over $1,200, larceny from a building, two counts of vandalizing property, and possession of a burglarious instrument.

Police Investigating Possible Connection to Earlier Break-Ins

Police said that Pearle Vision “had been broken into on prior occasions within the past year using a similar method,” and that “the suspect in those incidents matched the description of Kerman.” They said anyone with information on any of the break-ins should contact Detective Kyle Berube at (508) 910-1760.