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Man held on $250K bail in Taunton break-in

TAUNTON, Mass. (AP) - A 43-year-old Taunton man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a home break-in prosecutors say may be related to others in which a man entered victims' bedrooms.

Prosecutor Jeff Dailey said he expects more charges will be filed against Miguel Erickson as police investigate three other break-ins in Taunton. In some, women said a suspect touched them as they slept, even if a man was also asleep beside them.

Dailey said the current charge involves an Oct. 10 burglary at the home of a 58-year-old woman on Erickson's street.

Dailey told The Taunton Daily Gazette the woman heard noises, but didn't find anything and feel asleep in a chair. Dailey said a neighbor saw Erickson leave the house on a ladder, carrying a duffel bag.

Erickson claimed when he was confronted that he was returning the ladder, threw it down, and then ran away, according to Dailey.

Dailey asked for $500,000 bail, saying Erickson has a criminal record dating to 1988 that includes several burglary convictions. Erickson's court-appointed bail attorney Michael Brothers said he had a good record of attending his previous court hearings and asked for $8,000 bail.

Taunton police arrested Erickson on Saturday and carried out a search warrant at his home for evidence in other break-ins.