GOLDEN, Colo. -- A serial burglar with a lengthy record, who broke into 23 homes in south Jefferson County, was sentenced Friday to 144 years in prison.

Prosecutors said that David John Heckman, 32, broke into 23 homes in the Littleton area during a two-month period in 2007. All of the burglaries occurred during the night when residents were at home asleep.

Heckman was found guilty last February of 17 counts of residential burglary, theft series over $15,000, seven counts of aggravated motor vehicle theft, two counts of criminal trespass of an auto, and three counts of theft by receiving.

Heckman, a career criminal, was an escapee from Community Corrections when he committed the burglaries. On the first day of his Community Corrections sentence Heckman walked away and began the crime spree in southern Jefferson County, according to prosecutors.

Heckman entered the homes through open garage doors or unlocked windows. He also also stole seven vehicles from the homes, including the Mercedes he was driving when he was arrested on May 2, 2007 by the Colorado State Patrol. The car was stuck in the mud at Quincy and C470, when the CSP arrived.

Heckman was intoxicated and attempted to run from troopers, but he was quickly caught and arrested. Troopers said they found stolen property from many of the burglaries inside the vehicle.

Jefferson County Investigator Jamie Greaser, the lead investigator from the Sheriff’s Department, executed a search warrant at Heckman’s Lakewood home and found more of the stolen property from many of the burglaries.

This was Heckman’s 11th felony conviction. Following the trial on the burglary charges, the District Attorney also charged him as a habitual criminal. On June 12, he was found guilty of being a habitual criminal. This allowed the court to greatly enhance his sentence to four times the maximum in each charge for which he was convicted.

In sentencing Heckman to 144 years in prison, District Judge Dennis Hall said he knew that his sentence meant Heckman would be in prison for the rest of his life. But after listening to statements from both sides, including one victim impact statement, Judge Hall cited Heckman’s six juvenile adjudications and 10 adult felony convictions when he told Heckman that it was obvious he could no longer live among honest men.

"It is necessary to take you out of society," said Hall. "There is no chance you can be rehabilitated though we have tried and tried."

The wife and mother in one of the victim families who attended Friday's sentencing said, "I’m still afraid to be in my own house. I wake up at night at the slightest sound with my heart racing. I don’t trust people anymore."