Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

It happens when Lodi residents go to work: Thieves knock on the door, learn that nobody is home, then start checking for open windows and unlocked doors.

Once the thieves get inside a home, they get to work. They take flat-screen TVs, jewelry and computers. Hours later, the residents come home to find their houses ransacked.

It's been happening a lot lately: In the last two months, 62 residents have fallen victim, according to Lodi Police Lt. Chris Piombo, who analyzed residential burglary cases for the past four months. He did not include reports such as an item stolen from an open garage.

Also, the burglaries have been happening a lot more frequently. In July, police handled 17 such reports. That number dropped to six in all of August.

Then came September, which saw 30 cases, or one for each day of the month. October had 32 cases in 31 days.

Though the crimes don't inflict physical injuries on the victims, they wreak havoc on residents.

"I understand that feeling of coming home and finding your house ransacked. It's a violation," Piombo said. "It's a feeling that someone you don't know was in your house looking through your things."

Identity theft also becomes a concern, though the thieves appear to be targeting items that can be resold for cash.

Most commonly stolen items were TVs, computers, jewelry, cameras, iPods and cash. Firearms have also been stolen — in two cases the weapons had been left in plain view.

Piombo advised residents to avoid leaving weapons and valuables in plain sight, to make it harder for thieves to find. In some cases thieves have spent quite some time ransacking homes — in one instance using the resident's own tools to pry open a safe — but sometimes they've been scared off by victims, or in one case an alarm.

In 30 of the 68 cases between August and October, the suspects found unlocked doors or open windows. In the other cases, they kicked in doors or smashed windows, Piombo said.

Investigators have noticed the increase in burglaries and are trying to catch the suspects, Piombo said. So far, they have arrested nine people, including a "crew" of people who were arrested Oct. 8. Three were arrested in the past week, he said.

Detectives believe the thieves are working in groups, with the burglars getting a kind of commission for the goods they steal, Piombo said. He did not reveal how detectives are trying to catch the thieves, but said methods include undercover work as well as checking parolees and probationers.

No neighborhood is immune, though the west side of town has been hit 42 times, compared to 26 burglaries east of the railroad tracks.

As for what residents can do to keep safe, Piombo reminded people to make sure all doors and windows are locked and alarms are set.

He also asked that people report suspicious activity to police, even if it seems frivolous. In one case, a suspect walked down a street in broad daylight, carrying a 50-inch TV — which would certainly be considered suspicious, Piombo said.

Lodi-Area Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the burglars, Piombo said. To report information to police, call the investigations bureau at 333-6732. Anonymous callers may dial 333-6771.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

lodimaestro wrote on Nov 10, 2009 8:24 PM:

" To answer some questions from below, my home was broken into despite having a small but loud dog and alarm stickers all over the place. The alarm wasn't set but will be now during the day. I am getting video cams placed around my home as a further deterrent. "

Archives

Story Tools

Indexes

Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

Reader Feedback

Special Sections

Photo Reprints

Find Ads

Weather

Services

Contact Us

Office

Newsroom

Subscriptions

Advertising

Classifieds