Prolific burglar didn't realize court-fitted GPS ankle bracelet was tracking her movements

Police said 30-year-old Kristen DaCosta was careful breaking into a Somerset, Massachusetts, home through a bedroom window. Police said she stole jewellery and left everything just as she found out. However, she didn't realize she was leaving detectives all the evidence they could need.

"She didn't destroy the place. She did not ransack it. But she certainly left her electronic fingerprint on the place for us. This lady was on a GPS monitoring device," said Chief Jospeh Ferreira of the Somerset Police Department. DaCosta was ordered to wear a GPS ankle bracelet because she was on probation in an earlier case.

Ferreira said she apparently didn't realize her movements were being tracked. "Lo and behold, we actually saw the full track of her coming into Somerset and stopped at a certain bedroom window," he said. Police said DaCosta was also sneaking through other neighbourhoods, suspecting of breaking into at least a dozen homes all over Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

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DaCosta is charged with at least 17 break-ins while wearing the monitor, including burglaries in New Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairhaven and Tiverton. Police said it's impossible to transfer the ankle bracelet to another person or take it off without alerting authorities. "We're actually grateful we're able to solve a number of crimes because of the stupidity of the people," Ferreira said.