« Pats flying home from Arizona tonight | Today | Senate attacks Carcieri for Smart Staffing »

February 4, 2008

Attleboro police probing dozens of house break-ins

ATTLEBORO, Mass. -- Police are investigating a series of as many as four dozen house break-ins over the past three months here and in surrounding towns that they believe are being committed by the same person or group.

Capt. David Proia said the breaks are occurring in house that are located in neighborhoods in Attleboro and North Attleboro that are nears exits to Interstate 95. That proximity to the interstate would provide the thieves with a quick getaway route, Proia said, but police don’t know if that is the reason for them being there.

The burglars’ method of operation is to break into houses from rear or side windows, ones that aren’t visible from the street and in the afternoon or early evening hours when occupants are not home.

“We’re asking people to clear bushes and shrubs near their windows, so we can see better,” Prioa said.

“They are taking small, expensive items,” Proia said. “They aren’t taking anything like big-screen TVs.”

It is not unusual to see a rash of burglaries by an individual or group in a geographic area, Proia said, but the breaks that police have seen here and in North Attleboro have lasted longer and spread over as large an area as this one. Casie like those are usually broken when an arrest is made inn one burglary and then police connect the suspect to others. They can also be cracked when a suspect is stopped for some other violation, such as a traffic citation, and evidence connecting them to a break in is detected.

Proia said police have collected evidence from some of the crime scenes, but he declined to describe what it was.

Police have tried to increase their patrols in residential neighborhoods they think might be targets.

“Everyone is out,” he said. “I’ve been out myself, I used an unmarked car.”

Police are asking anyone who sees someone suspicious or a suspicious vehicle in their neighborhood to call police.

“Give us a call,” he said. “We’ll respond.”

-- Journal staff writer John Hill

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 5:20 PM | Permalink

Comments

Post a comment

Please be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish.

Name:

Email Address:

URL:
Remember Me? YesNo

Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)