
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, July 20, 1993                   TAG: 9307200522
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WOMAN INDICTED IN SALEM BURGLARY

A Salem grand jury has indicted a suspect in one of about 50 burglaries that authorities have attributed to a gypsy burglary ring.

Monica Grabowski, 28, was indicted Friday on one count of statutory burglary and one count of grand larceny in connection with the June 20 theft of more than $50,000 worth of jewelry and furs from a home on Red Lane in North Salem.

Grabowski - who remains at large - also is wanted in connection with a burglary that same weekend of a home in South Roanoke. Police said they matched fingerprints found at the scene with Grabowski's prints on file from a previous arrest in Maryland.

A native of Poland, Grabowski is accused of being part of a traveling band of thieves that authorities believe is responsible for breaking into dozens of homes in Southwest Virginia and Southside.

The burglary ring targets homes of doctors and lawyers.

Roanoke and Salem police have entered Grabowski's name in a national crime computer network. "If she turns up in a traffic stop, we might get lucky," Salem Commonwealth's Attorney Fred King said.

by CNB