Oakland 'balcony burglar' suspect in custody

OAKLAND, Calif. - He's been dubbed Spider-Man. Parkour Prowler. Balcony Burglar.

For Oakland police, though, Kumonee Butler, 28, isn't a superhero, but an inmate.

"Oakland police patrol officers arrested that suspect safely on Friday night," said police Capt. Robert Rosin.

Butler, a convicted burglar, has been arrested in connection with a spree of at least a dozen incidents in the Adams Point neighborhood. Police say he used victims' balconies to get inside.

He may not be a superhero, but superhuman? Perhaps.

"Some crime scenes were elevated off the ground, up to four stories," Rosin said. "However, I don't know if he's a Parkour expert or not."

Told of an arrest by KTVU, Patt Schroeder said, "It makes me want to cry."

Schroeder recently came face to face with a man standing over her in her bedroom - after the stranger somehow got up to her fourth-floor balcony.

"People have come up with all kinds of adjectives, 'Spider-Man' being one of them," Schroeder said. "My opinion is he came from the roof, but how he got to the roof is a whole other story."

Police say it's possible he leaped from one object to another to scale up - or down - buildings.

"I don't know if he came from the ground and went up, or went from up and then went down," Rosin said.

But after somehow getting to a balcony, the rest, police say, was easy.

"Entry was made into the victim's apartment via unlocked door," Rosin said.

Police say residents shouldn't let their guard down just because a suspect is in custody. When it gets hot, windows and doors are opened.

"And my suggestion is it's OK to leave it open, but potentially use a pole or stick to block the door or window from being forced open," Rosin said.

Alameda County prosecutors have charged Butler in one of the dozen or so incidents. But Oakland police say the investigation is far from over and are asking any other victims to come forward.