GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County police are searching for Gilbert Lee Burch, a 48-year-old convict who allegedly broke into a home while on a court-approved work release.
Burch is under investigation for burglary after a woman’s home off Harbins Road was ransacked, and items, including her children’s class rings, were stolen.
Burch now has warrants for burglary and escaping work release. He is considered armed and dangerous.
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“The whole community’s at risk,” said the victim, who asked not to be identified for safety reasons.
The victim described feeling terrified and violated after discovering her home had been broken into.
“He went through all my personal stuff,” she told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson.
A county spokesperson confirmed that Gwinnett police alerted Gwinnett Corrections on Aug. 5 about Burch being under investigation for a burglary while on release.
Officers encountered Burch in a parking lot that night but did not arrest him due to a lack of probable cause, although his car was seized as evidence.
The following morning, police returned with a warrant, but Burch had not returned, prompting concerns about procedural failures.
The victim remains anxious about her safety until Burch is apprehended.
“Until then, I will be nervous. I’ll wonder when I walk in my house, has he been in there again?” she said.
Police said anyone who knows where Burch is should call 911.
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