Discarded cigarette led to conviction in Monterey home burglary

Daniel Edward Jeske, 33, of Pacific Grove was convicted of burglarizing a Monterey home in 2012.

The residents of the home left their house early one morning and while they were gone, Jeske entered through an unlocked back door. He rifled through the residence and took jewelry, electronics, laptop computers and items of sentimental value.

Shortly after, the family’s housekeeper arrived, found the house ransacked and called police. Police found a cigarette butt in the home apparently left by the burglar and sent it to a state laboratory for testing. The DNA on the cigarette turned out to be a match for Jeske, who has multiple prior felony convictions for theft-related offenses.

Jeske faces up to seven years in prison, Monterey County prosecutors said.