NYPD seeking 3 men for 13 break-ins in Brooklyn and Queens since June
NEW YORK -- The NYPD is investigating a rash of car and home burglaries across neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn.
Police say the spree began in June and it has residents on edge.
A ritzy area of Whitestone, where safety is expected, is now where some live guarded after numerous burglaries.
"It's scary. It's super scary," one woman said.
She and her family were targeted early one morning in late June.
"We woke up to Ring alarms like our Ring alert," she said.
On the door bell camera at 5 a.m. two young men come creeping up to the front. Two others, their faces covered with hoodies, are seen snooping around in the back.
"My husband was looking through the front door and he saw them coming up the steps," she said.
She called 911 and with their two young children sleeping upstairs her husband wasn't taking any chances.
"Out of panic mode he just punched right through the door," she said.
The glass exploded outward as her husband ran out.
"I was on the phone at the moment and I thought they had shot into the house," the woman said.
Those burglars got away and now police say that one incident is linked to 12 others since early June and early August in various parts of Queens and Brooklyn. Sometimes the thieves break into homes, steal jewelry and grab the keys and drive off with luxury cars.
"They've been looking for anything they can grab," Alex Arsenis said.
A thief broke into Arsenis' home using a window two years ago. It has been shut since.
Now, after hearing about the recent break-ins, "I added two extra cameras this week, actually," Arsenis said.
His doors and vehicles are locked at all times and other concerned neighbors are following suit.
"If it continues to escalate, someone is going to be killed perhaps. Where do we step in?" said Thomas Doherty of Whitestone.
Police say even though the last burglary happened a month ago on Aug. 2, the thieves are still out there and authorities are asking you to be vigilant.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.