Freed burglar polished burglary skills

Police say a man stole expensive silver from homes while he was waiting to be sentenced on charges in a 14-state burglary spree.

Since mid-June, David Nordahl, 36, is suspected of breaking into more than 100 homes and plucking only the best silver candelabra, goblets, serving trays and jewelry. He was charged Wednesday with possessing burglary tools. Police said additional charges would be filed.Prosecutors say throughout a long burglary career, Nordahl stole millions of dollars of fine silver in 14 states, including from the homes of Bruce Springsteen, Ivana Trump and sportscaster Curt Gowdy.

Nordahl was arrested Tuesday in the Baltimore area. He is suspected of helping himself since July to more than $700,000 worth of silver goods in the area.

"He knew what he wanted," said Lt. Jay Fisher. "He knew the difference between silver-plated and solid silver, and that's all he took."

In his 13-year criminal career, Nordahl never left fingerprints or woke his victims as he pried or cut window panes from frames and crept inside, police said.