Ottawa Police arrested a man they say was involved in a series of break and enters and smashed a police car while trying to evade capture.

Undercover officers surprised the suspect while he was examining property he had just allegedly stolen from a home on Gilmour Street on Wednesday.

During the arrest, the suspect attempted to flee and damaged three police vehicles in the process, said Staff Sgt. Kal Ghadban with the Street Crime Unit and Break and Enter team.

Ghadban also said the man almost ran over a homeowner in his attempt to escape during one break-and-enter attempt.

Ghadban, said police have evidence linking the man to break and enters from Kanata, to the area around the Civic Campus of the Ottawa hospital and to the Glebe.

He said police will likely add more charges.

He said the suspect targeted highly dense residential areas and older homes, and kept coming back to the same neighbourhoods because he knew there was still property to steal.

A 34-year-old Ottawa man faces 17 charges including break, enter and theft, possession of stolen property and laundering the proceeds of crime.

He will remain in custody until his next court appearance.