BOSTON — A slick serial burglar is on the loose in Downtown Boston — prying open shop doors under cover of darkness and vanishing with cash, electronics, and credit cards in a string of late-night hits that’s now rippling across the city’s campuses.

Since late August, detectives say the elusive thief has been targeting small businesses after hours, using a pry tool to break in and clean out registers before slipping into the night. The break-ins started downtown on August 21 but have now spread — with Boston University, Cambridge, and even Northeastern police all reporting eerily similar heists involving the same method and a matching suspect.

Investigators describe the burglar as a Black male with a beard, often seen in a black hoodie or jacket and a baseball cap marked with bold lettering, lugging a dark backpack stuffed with stolen goods. Loot so far includes everything from cash and electronics to pricey camera gear.

Detectives from District A-1 are combing surveillance footage and working with campus police to track the midnight prowler before he strikes again. Anyone with information is urged to call A-1 detectives at (617) 343-4571 or contact CrimeStoppers anonymously at 1-800-494-TIPS (8477), by texting “TIP” to CRIME (27463), or through the Boston Police website.

Police say all tips, photos, and videos will be kept strictly confidential — but for now, downtown merchants are locking up tight and watching the door, wondering where Boston’s “midnight pry man” will strike next.