An Alabama man has been arrested for a series of unsettling crimes described by police as disturbingly ghoulish. Authorities in the state have detained Peter Michael Petitti, 40, who is facing charges of burglary. His bond from a previous related charge has been revoked, according to records from Shelby County.

Petitti was taken into custody on Sunday during a traffic stop. The arrest followed allegations that he broke into the home of a recently deceased individual, stealing their belongings, as reported by the Alabaster Police Department.

This marks the second incident in three months where Petitti has allegedly targeted homes during times of mourning, according to law enforcement officials. His actions have become notorious for exploiting the vulnerable period following a person’s death.

Authorities were able to identify Petitti thanks to video surveillance footage, combined with his grimly consistent methods. His alleged modus operandi involves scouring obituaries and social media platforms like Facebook to gather details about the recently deceased, a spokesperson from the police department shared with the Shelby County Reporter.

The defendant was identified by way of video surveillance, law enforcement officials allege — and due to his macabre modus operandi.

Petitti is believed to have checked obituaries and Facebook to obtain information about the recently deceased, a police department spokesperson told the Shelby County Reporter.

“At this point, we can”t say with 100 percent certainty that he was using obituaries, but based on the timing and circumstances, we can reasonably assume that may have played a role,” Alabaster Police Department Detective Andrew Rowan said. “Our officers recognized his pattern of behavior, which matched previous incidents.”

The detective echoed that assessment of how the knowledge was gained in comments to Birmingham-based ABC affiliate WBMA.

“With the way of media today, everything is on the internet,” Rowan said. “If your loved one passes away…the funeral home will post something on their social media or website to state that the service is coming up or the obituaries are within the local newspaper.”

The initial incident occurred in August, police said.

That first time, the defendant allegedly entered the residence of the recently deceased, damaged several doors and one doorknob, and made off with some small items. The original burglary charge was a fourth-degree offense. Now, Petitti is also facing charges of burglary in the third degree and possession of burglary tools, police said.

By Aug. 20, Petitti was out on bail. By Nov. 9, he was back in jail — initially on $30,000 bond, which was revoked the very next day.

“It’s sad,” Rowan told Birmingham-based Fox affiliate WBRC. “It’s awful. It’s despicable. This is potentially the family’s worst time.”

The latest incident occurred in the Park Forest neighborhood of Alabaster – a medium-sized city located roughly 25 miles due south of Birmingham. The initial burglary occurred in the Weatherly neighborhood following a woman’s death, police said.

The resident of the second home passed away a few weeks ago, police say. Police did not provide additional details about the resident of the first house. The items stolen from the houses included earrings, rings, and family heirlooms, according to law enforcement.

“For these grieving families to come home and find after they’ve, you know, said their goodbyes, their final goodbyes to their loved ones…put their loved ones in the ground,” Rowan mused to WBRC. “They have to come home to find out their family’s home has been burglarized. We will do the most that we can to make sure that you go and you serve your time for it.”

Authorities also described Petitti’s alleged actions as “heinous.”

Investigators are now working to recover some of the stolen items, according to law enforcement.

The defendant is being detained in the Shelby County Jail with no bond — in order to avoid another repeat, police say.