CAMARILLO MAN HELD IN 20 SIMI BURGLARIES.

Byline: Terry Kanakri Daily News Staff Writer

A Camarillo man suspected of burglarizing 20 apartments in Simi Valley has been arrested after police found him by lifting fingerprints from the crime scenes, officials said Friday.

Shawn M. Janaman, 23, was arrested about 3:45 p.m. Thursday without incident at his home in the 1600 block of Chapel Avenue, and remained in Ventura County Jail on Friday with bail set at $20,000.

``We're obviously pleased that we caught him,'' Sgt. Bob Gardner said. ``He burglarized 15 apartments, and the trauma that people felt in their homes when they get burglarized, obviously they weren't happy.''

Simi Valley police suspect Janaman broke into 15 apartments along Country Club Drive in Wood Ranch between October 1995 and February of this year, and also burglarized five apartments along Ridgegate Lane.

Property stolen included electronic equipment, televisions, computer equipment, video recorders, compact discs and jewelry, police said.

The burglaries were similar, with entry being made with little or no force through the sliding glass doors on the first floor of the apartments, police said.

On at least one occasion, Janaman was confronted by a victim in one apartment complex, who thought Janaman appeared suspicious, police said. When confronted, Janaman said he was looking for a friend, police said. The victim later found out that he had been burglarized.

With the help of lifted fingerprints, police searched Janaman's apartment April 11 and recovered property that linked him to the Simi Valley burglaries, Gardner said. The property later was identified by burglary victims.

Following the search, Janaman was arrested after Simi Valley detectives obtained an arrest warrant charging him with burglary and possession of stolen property.

``Generally, these people who commit this type of crime keep going until they get caught,'' Gardner said.