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A Knoxville man faces charges of burglarizing five houses and stealing items valued altogether at $17,200 before police caught him in the act on Monday, according to court records.
Kenneth Wayne Barnett, 49, is accused of violating his parole by stealing jewelry, cash and other items from four houses in North Knoxville and one in West Knoxville. Police said those burglaries occurred in October and November.
Barnett sold some of the items he allegedly stole to various pawn shops for roughly 10 percent of their value, police said.
Officers arrested Barnett after responding about 10:40 a.m. Monday to a home on Gaston Avenue where an alarm was sounding at the back door, according to an arrest warrant.
At the bottom of some steps at the back of the house, Knoxville Police Department Officer John Pickens found "a blue backpack with what appeared to be a hammer hanging out of it," the warrant reads.
Officer Jeff Damewood called for backup. Damewood and Pickens posted up at different corners of the house.
Barnett tried to open a window near Damewood, "but quickly realized that he could not escape the house," according to the warrant.
Damewood began yelling commands through the window, and Barnett came outside and surrendered to Pickens, according to the warrant.
In Barnett's pockets, Pickens found a knife, a pocket watch, a wallet, a license and about $50 in cash that the homeowner said belonged to him, according to the warrant.
Barnett is charged with stealing from a house on Forsythe Street, two on Ena Road, one on Kendall Road and one on Hillcrest Drive. He also is charged with stealing tools, copper and wire from Bittle and Sons construction, where police said he once worked.
Barnett faces six aggravated burglary charges and six theft charges.
His preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 20. He was being held at the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility on Tuesday evening in lieu of $94,500 bond.