Night-time prowlers hit southeast
By NADIA MOHARIB, SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: 7th October 2009, 3:45am
In the past month, 11 homes have been hit at night by thieves breaking in to residences in the southeast communities of New Brighton and Copperfield.
In all cases, thieves took advantage of vehicles left unlocked and used remote garage openers found inside to eventually get into houses, Const. Pete Barker said.
The majority of the time, they got into homes through unlocked doors in the garages, but in other cases forced their way in.
In one case, thieves escaped in the homeowner's car while in another, a family sleeping upstairs awoke to a noise but went back to sleep, thinking it was another relative up and walking about, Barker said.
"What we are trying to do is avoid confrontation," he said.
"The scenarios (should that happen) are horrendous and many."
He urged people to lock home doors, secure windows and not leave remote garage openers in vehicles parked outside.
If people believe someone is in their home, police urge them to call 911.
"We would rather be called to 20 calls that turned out to be nothing than one which turned out to be something," Barker said.
Thieves have been brazen in the break-ins.
"These offenders are not afraid to turn the light on," Barker said.
"It just seems they are not particularly rummaging about, just taking anything lying around."
That includes TVs, passports, wallets and in one case, keys to a car which they used to drive away.
In recent weeks, Morgan James Way, Ralph Michael Bohn and Tara Dawn Giesbrecht were charged with offences, including possession of stolen property and break-and-enter in relation to other incidents.
But police believe there are still more offenders at large and urge people to take steps to keep crooks out of their homes.
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