Man breaks into house, hides in closet and is arrested for the 14th time in Bauru PM/Disclosure A 40-year-old man was arrested for the 14th time for theft after breaking into a house in the central region of Bauru (SP). According to the Military Police, he tried to escape through the roofs of neighboring properties and was found around two hours later hiding in a closet in a nearby residence. The incident was recorded on Tuesday afternoon (28). According to the PM, teams were called to respond to a theft in progress and caught the suspect leaving the property. Upon noticing the presence of the police, he fled across the roofs of neighboring houses. ? Join the g1 Bauru e Marília channel on WhatsApp After a police siege and around two hours of searches, the man was found hiding inside a closet in a nearby residence and arrested in the act. Bauru records an average of 400 thefts per month and traders demand a security plan According to the victim, the suspect had already separated several objects to take, including approximately 30 kilos of electrical wires, a bicycle, two gas cylinders, a camping tent and kitchen utensils. According to the PM, this was the man's 14th arrest in the act since 2004. He had already been detained 13 other times, most for theft crimes. After theft in the center of Bauru, a man breaks into a house, hides in a closet and is arrested for the 14th time PM/Disclosure Wave of insecurity The arrest occurs amid an increase in theft in the central region of Bauru. Data from the Public Security Secretariat of the State of São Paulo (SSP-SP) show that, in the first five months of 2026, the city recorded an average of more than 400 thefts per month. In January alone, 487 incidents were recorded, the highest number since November 2021. The sequence of crimes led downtown traders to protest the lack of security. Shopkeepers even put up posters with the phrase "Center in mourning", in a pun to draw attention to the wave of thefts. Business owners report frequent losses and say that many have started to consider changing addresses or closing their establishments. "We work, pay taxes every month and arrive here without being able to work. I've been working for 26 years and this is the first time I've thought about stopping, because we no longer have security. We leave to rest, but we don't rest anymore", lamented trader Henrique Matsuoka, who has run a pastry shop in the center for 26 years. Shopkeepers protest with 'mourning' posters after a wave of thefts in Bauru TV TEM/Reproduction Given the scenario, military and civil police, with the support of social assistance agents from Bauru City Hall, carried out an operation this week in the central region to reinforce the fight against theft and robbery. The action focused on areas with the highest concentration of incidents and people in socially vulnerable situations. "The vast majority, 90% of thefts, are individuals who live in free areas. So, this is a consequence that sometimes only falls on the PM. Having the support of other agencies helps us to qualify these people, find wanted people and guide them so they are out of vulnerability", said Captain Lucas Freitas, from the Military Police. Man breaks into house, hides in closet and is arrested for the 14th time in Bauru PM/Disclosure