Lawrence police arrested a 31-year-old Lawrence man suspected of three burglaries committed early Tuesday morning while residents were sleeping.

Sgt. Trent McKinley, a police spokesman, said officers were investigating to determine if the suspect could be linked to several dozen similar burglaries. McKinley said at 11:20 a.m. prosecutors do not plan to file court charges against the man until Wednesday because officers were still reviewing evidence.

Police have warned residents for weeks to lock their doors and close their garage doors at night. In one recent home burglary, two guns were stolen while residents slept inside.

McKinley said the three burglaries reported Tuesday all occurred in the same area of northern Lawrence.

In the first one, police were called at 4:15 a.m. to the 300 block of Northwood Lane, where a person awoke and saw the suspect who ran from the residence. McKinley said a second burglary was reported on Northwood Lane later Tuesday morning as a resident discovered someone either had entered or attempted to enter a rear door of the house but did not see the suspect.

The third burglary was just before 6 a.m. on Woodlawn Drive, southeast of Peterson Road and Princeton Boulevard.

“They reported this person in the house and called it in. An officer got into the area very quickly and located the suspect very shortly thereafter,” McKinley said.

Officers found the suspect in the 100 block of Lawrence Avenue. He was taken to the Douglas County Jail on suspicion of aggravated burglary and obstruction.

McKinley said several officers were in the area after the arrest looking for potential evidence.

“We of course are looking at any connection that this person may have to other previous burglaries,” McKinley said. “We will probably be working into the evening and early morning as well trying to pull this all together and prepare the best possible case.”

The Journal-World generally does not identify suspects until they are formally charged.