Irondequoit, N.Y. - They came through a rear window – and walked out the front door with jewelry, a lap top, and an iPhone.
The woman who lives in the home asked not to be identified but she showed us how the thieves broke through a rear window.
“My bedroom was ransacked, everything from the drawers was out,” she says. She is still trying to inventory everything that is missing.
Footprints left in the snow of the home on Governor Terrace are spray painted pink as part of the police investigation. Police say they match others in a string of burglaries dating back two months. “At this point we’re not sure who’s involved, how many people are involved, or what their mode of travel is,” says Officer James Reed of the Irondequoit Police Department.
Thieves hit 10 homes on the east side of Irondequoit in the neighborhoods surrounding Pardee Road and Norton Street. There have been three break-ins in the last four days.
Police say the crimes fit a pattern. Footprints indicate there are two or more people, they target homes when no one is there, then break in through a rear door or window.
The thieves also appear to be growing bolder- moving from small items like jewelry to video gaming systems and large screen televisions which would require the use of a getaway vehicle.
Irondequoit Police have sent letters to the homeowners alerting them to be aware of slow moving cars or people walking through yards casing homes. They acknowledge that at this time of year it gets dark early and people have their doors and windows closed against the cold which hinders what neighbors see and hear.
They are increasing patrols in the area, and have set up a facebook page with weekly updates. But what they really need is the kind of break that an alert eye might give them.
“If you see something that doesn’t look right in your neighborhood, pick up the phone,” says Officer Reed. “At least get officers in that area so we can investigate while it’s happening.”
