A burglar, who entered a home on the 1600 block of 32nd Street while the residents were sleeping, left in handcuffs in the early morning hours Monday.

The man, a resident of Northeast D.C., entered the home through an unlocked front door, according to an email to area block captains from Second District Lt. John Hedgecock. One resident detained the man while another called police.

Though the residents' action were what led to the arrest, Hedgecock advised block captains not to encourage such behavior.

"We do not encourage residents to confront offenders when crimes are in progress. This case turned out fine, although it could have been a different story should this suspect had a weapon," he wrote.

The burglary just after 1 a.m. Monday followed two similar cases over the weekend, as reported in the Second District weekend crime report.

Between Friday night and Saturday morning residents reported burglaries on the 2800 block of N St. and the 2700 block of Q St. In these instances, according to message from Cmdr. Michael Reese on the MPD listserv, "there was no sign of forced entry when property was taken," which is to say the front door had been unlocked.

Hedgecock urged residents to lock their doors and windows. "Most Burglars look for the path of least resistance. They always check the doors first. Let’s not make it easy for them!"