Historic Detroit neighborhood target of home break-ins
(CBS DETROIT) — Residents in a historic Detroit neighborhood are on high alert after many homes have been burglarized in the past several months.
"This is just a screenshot, but this is a video of the guy breaking in over on Atkinson…this is him again…same backpack," said Celena Zavala.
Zavala says the same man in a dark hooded sweatshirt and backpack is described in countless social media posts reportedly breaking into homes in her Detroit neighborhood.
"I've never experienced someone kind of tormenting an entire neighborhood coming into our backyards, coming into our personal space," Zavala said.
Zavala lives in the Boston-Edison Historic District, which police say has been a target of home break-ins recently.
Her sister-in-law was a victim of one of these burglaries Monday morning. Her home is located off Chicago Boulevard in Detroit.
"They came through the window, but where they came through, they were on top of the kitchen counter, and they were greeted by their two dogs, and then the burglar proceeded to then mace the dogs in the eyes and all over their fur. They ransacked the entire second floor, stole her engagement ring, her deceased mother's jewelry which you can't replace that, some items of her fiancé's and ultimately traumatized the dogs," Zavala said.
Surveillance video showed the thieves in and out within 10 minutes. Police arrived just minutes after the thief ran off.
"When the officers got there, they said this is like the 12th break-in the past two weeks. They believe it's the same guy and that, actually, one of the break-ins resulted in a dog dying," said Zavala.
Living only a few blocks down the road from her sister-in-law, Zavala feels on edge and says she and others in the area don't feel the police are doing much to get these intruders off the street.
"It's not just stealing some stuff. Now you're like physically harming people's animals; one has already died. There's nothing that we as neighbors feel is actively being done about it because it's continuing to happen and it's escalating at this point," said Zavala.
CBS News Detroit reached out to Detroit police, who said these break-ins are being taken seriously and the department is conducting a thorough investigation to locate the suspect.
Police ask if you have any other information, to give the 10th precinct a call at 313-596-1040.
