Spate of Home Invasion Robberies Has Pleasant Hill Residents On Edge
PLEASANT HILL (KPIX 5) – A string of home invasion robberies in Pleasant Hill has residents who live in the community along the I-680 corridor on edge.
Police said there are apparently multiple criminal crews using the same tactics to break in right as people leave for work.
Thieves are knocking on doors to see if anyone is home, and when no one answers, they kick in the door and grab whatever they can find.
But Tuesday morning, things didn't go as planned, when they discovered the owners were still at home.
Video from Debbie Brose's Ring doorbell camera obtained by KPIX 5 shows the scene just before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.
"He stands really close to the door. I think maybe so you can't see his face, so he stands really close like this," says Debbie Brose.
Brose was getting ready for work, so didn't answer the door, even after he knocks multiple times. The man eventually leaves.
"Four minutes later is when they come back and kick in the door," she told KPIX 5.
Four men rush into the house, grabbing an Xbox from her son's room and her purse from the counter.
That's when Brose came out of her bedroom and saw the men.
"I just yelled, 'Robbers!' and my husband then came out of the bathroom and just started chasing," she says.
The four men ran of the house and took off in a waiting car. The entire ordeal lasted less than two minutes.
"It was incredibly fast," she says.
Brose told KPIX 5 one of the scariest parts was the force they used to kick in the door. "This entire section was torn off," she said.
She says she's thankful no one was seriously injured and credits her faith for protecting her family.
"It happened exactly the way it was supposed to happen. That's where I see God's hand in it all," Brose said.
So far, Pleasant Hill Police haven't released any information about suspects or arrests in this case.
They do suggest if you hear someone knocking on the front door, to keep the door closed and locked, but answer the door to let them know someone's home. Security systems and cameras can also help.