Peter Petitti (Shelby County Jail).
An Alabama man is behind bars for serial behavior that might accurately be termed ghoulish, police in the Yellowhammer State say.
Peter Michael Petitti, 40, stands accused of burglary with a since-revoked bond for a similar offense, Shelby County records show.
On Sunday, the defendant was arrested during a traffic stop after allegedly breaking into the home of someone who recently died to pilfer their property, according to the Alabaster Police Department.
This is the second time in three months that Petitti has broken into homes during such periods of mourning, law enforcement officials claim.
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The defendant was identified by way of video surveillance, law enforcement officials allege — and due to his macabre modus operandi.
Petitti is believed to have checked obituaries and Facebook to obtain information about the recently deceased, a police department spokesperson told the Shelby County Reporter.
"At this point, we can't say with 100 percent certainty that he was using obituaries, but based on the timing and circumstances, we can reasonably assume that may have played a role," Alabaster Police Department Detective Andrew Rowan said. "Our officers recognized his pattern of behavior, which matched previous incidents."
The detective echoed that assessment of how the knowledge was gained in comments to Birmingham-based ABC affiliate WBMA.
"With the way of media today, everything is on the internet," Rowan said. "If your loved one passes away…the funeral home will post something on their social media or website to state that the service is coming up or the obituaries are within the local newspaper."
The initial incident occurred in August, police said.
That first time, the defendant allegedly entered the residence of the recently deceased, damaged several doors and one doorknob, and made off with some small items. The original burglary charge was a fourth-degree offense. Now, Petitti is also facing charges of burglary in the third degree and possession of burglary tools, police said.
By Aug. 20, Petitti was out on bail. By Nov. 9, he was back in jail — initially on $30,000 bond, which was revoked the very next day.
"It's sad," Rowan told Birmingham-based Fox affiliate WBRC. "It's awful. It's despicable. This is potentially the family's worst time."
The latest incident occurred in the Park Forest neighborhood of Alabaster – a medium-sized city located roughly 25 miles due south of Birmingham. The initial burglary occurred in the Weatherly neighborhood following a woman's death, police said.
The resident of the second home passed away a few weeks ago, police say. Police did not provide additional details about the resident of the first house. The items stolen from the houses included earrings, rings, and family heirlooms, according to law enforcement.
"For these grieving families to come home and find after they've, you know, said their goodbyes, their final goodbyes to their loved ones…put their loved ones in the ground," Rowan mused to WBRC. "They have to come home to find out their family's home has been burglarized. We will do the most that we can to make sure that you go and you serve your time for it."
Authorities also described Petitti's alleged actions as "heinous."
Investigators are now working to recover some of the stolen items, according to law enforcement.
The defendant is being detained in the Shelby County Jail with no bond — in order to avoid another repeat, police say.