DOVER - A Manchester man police pinpointed as "Jack the Snipper" - for the intruder's habit of breaking into homes and cutting off the nighties of sleeping women - was arrested Tuesday by Dover police on a charge of indecent exposure.

Police said Jeffrey Gelinas, 37, on Sunday exposed his genitals to a young girl while at the Bed, Bath and Beyond store at 875 Central Ave. The girl got her mother's attention and Gelinas ran away, police said.

Police, after receiving several tips identifying him from surveillance videos, arrested him without incident on Elm Street in Manchester Tuesday.

He is scheduled to be arraigned at 10:45 a.m. today in Dover District Court.

Gelinas was paroled last year after serving an eight-year sentence.

In 2003 and 2004, Durham police had zeroed in on Gelinas as their sole suspect in eight "Jack the Snipper" burglaries. Gelinas was arrested and subsequently pleaded guilty to a single charge of attempted burglary.

"The reality of it was this was a series of acts that, I wouldn't want to say paralyzed the community, but was incredibly unsettling for the community," Durham Police Chief David L. Kurz said last year.

The case drew national media attention. At one point, Durham police consulted with a psychologist, who feared the crimes could progress into violence, Kurz said.

The Snipper never targeted university-owned housing, the chief said. He accessed off-campus apartments by walking down common hallways and checking doors. He never broke a lock or window; he merely walked into unlocked apartments, Kurz said last year.

"There were some really traumatized victims. Trauma and fear were really permeating the community," he said.

tbuckland@unionleader.com