BSO: Burglars Strike While Homeowners Sleep
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) - The Broward Sheriff's Office is on the lookout for a pair of burglars suspected of breaking into homes while their victims are sleeping.
BSO says they're working at least 4 of the cases in Deerfield Beach and Tamarac.
Surveillance video from Wednesday -- from cameras set up at the home of the most recent victim – shows two men cautiously walking onto the victim's back porch during the overnight hours. One of the men is holding up a black cloth covering his face. The second man uses a can of spray paint to cover the camera lens.
According to BSO, the men then entered the home and stole a briefcase, a diamond ring and a purse fill of personal information.
The victims awoke -- but the thieves were already out of the house with nearly $30-thousand dollars worth of items. They took the keys to the victim's Corvette but possibly got scared by the family dog and left without stealing the car.
Detectives say the thieves were busy Wednesday morning, first sneaking into Judith LaPorta's Tamarac home through an open window, while LaPorta slept.
LaPorta said she usually keeps her windows and doors locked but with cooler weather, she decided to open her windows.
"It feels like I was raped," LaPorta told CBS4 News. "That's exactly what it feels like. So violated. I'm sound asleep and there's somebody walking around in my living room and dining room."
She said the thieves stole a laptop that belonged to a friend and also took the BMW key off of LaPorta's keychain. Then they stole her car. Investigators say the car was used hours later in the Deerfield break-in.
LaPorta said she's been unable to sleep soundly ever since.
"I can't sleep thinking that somebody's gonna try to break back in here," LaPorta said.
BSO believes the thieves have struck four times -- in each case stealing items then stealing or looking to steal a family car to get away.
A break in the case might have come later on Wednesday when BSO arrested Brianna Anderson. Detectives say she tried to cash checks stolen from the Deerfield victims. Investigators are trying to figure out how she's connected to the burglars in the video.
Judith LaPorta just wants them all off the streets.
"I know the economy is so bad that people instead of going and getting a $3 dollar an hour job, they'd rather go and steal," she said.
BSO recommends people lock windows and doors and try not to leave valuables in plain sight. They also urge people to report suspicious activity.
Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 954 493 TIPS.
