Victoria police will investigate whether a 44-year-old Victoria man arrested for breaking into an apartment building's laundry room Wednesday night is linked to a host of similar cases.

Victoria police have received reports of 33 laundry room break-ins since early February, said police department spokesperson Const. Mike Russell.

A resident of the building in the 2800-block of Fifth St. caught and held the suspect, who police say was breaking into the laundry room at about 9 p.m.

When officers arrived, they searched the suspect and found break-and-enter tools and coins likely taken from a coin-operated laundry machine that had been tampered with.

Police suspect the man "of breaking into numerous laundry rooms and stealing coins," Russell said.

The suspect was held in custody Wednesday night and was expected to appear in court Thursday to face charges of break and enter, theft, mischief, possession of stolen property and possession and break-and-enter tools.

emccracken@vicnews.com