Concord Serial Cat Burglar Breaking In While Residents Sleep Inside
CONCORD (KPIX 5) – Police in Concord are looking for a serial cat burglar who they say is responsible for numerous break-ins.
According to police, the suspected burglar hit about 10 Concord homes in recent months, sneaking in overnight as families slept steps away.
"He doesn't have a sense of fear anymore, that's the scariest," said Teresa Molnar.
Molnar's husband scared the guy off. Her neighbor, Deborah Mathewson, wasn't so lucky. Last Monday night, she said the same guy came face to face with her teenage daughter.
"My daughter woke up and he was in her room. And she had made eye contact with him and he fled out the back door," Mathewson said.
Mathewson said her daughter was terrified and screaming for help. "It's been very hard to sleep at night. She's had nightmares. And she's having a very hard time," she told KPIX 5.
Concord police identify the cat burglar as Jason Lee Harris, a convicted burglar who is out on probation. They have a warrant out for his arrest again.
Neighbors are also warning others about Harris, posting flyers in the neighborhood, right next to the Concord BART station.
"We passed this around to everyone who was answering their door, or we put them up on the trees," said Ashley Nelson, who said she was also a victim.
Nelson believes Harris is the same person who had snuck into her bedroom two Sunday nights ago while she was asleep. She said Harris ran off with her purse and two wallets.
"He could do harm to someone, he could hurt anyone. The thing is, I felt so violated, I felt so victimized," Nelson said.
Neighbors hope the police will catch the guy before he strikes again. "If he's going into houses when people are in there, I'm afraid something will escalate," Molnar said.
Concord police said the cat burglar is entering people's homes through unlocked gates and doors. They're reminding folks to make sure everything is locked.