Surveillance Video Shows Sunny Isles Beach Burglar In Action
SUNNY ISLES BEACH (CBSMiami) -- A burglar is lurking around upscale neighborhoods in normally peaceful Sunny Isles Beach.
Home surveillance cameras show him walking up a home's driveway, sauntering right past two parked vehicles which show clearly that someone is home. He heads to the side of the house and checks the door but it's locked. He then moves on to the backyard and finds that door locked too. Next, he simply hopped a fence and burglarized the neighbor next door.
"The door was left open to enjoy the beautiful night breeze we have over here and it made it really easy for someone to just walk in, help himself to some property and leave," explained Sunny Isles Police Sergeant Brian Schnell.
Sgt. Schnell said this is the first crime wave the city has dealt with this year. Three homes have been burglarized in two weeks. Two in the Golden Isles neighborhood, and one in Atlantic Isles. He said these crimes are a wakeup call.
"This is a very low crime rate city and sometimes you get lulled into a sense of comfort, living here. And we just want to remind everybody that it is still incumbent upon everybody to be vigilant," he told CBS4's Natalia Zea.
In two of the break-ins, detectives believe the man actually entered the bedrooms of people sleeping inside. He stole some valuables right off of a nightstand.
The crook has gotten away with jewelry, laptops, and cash. So far he has slipped out of the house before anyone woke up. But Sergeant Schnell worries what could happen if he is confronted.
"When someone goes into a home like that, when there's people in there, that's a different level and we will not tolerate that."
Police want to remind you to prevent yourself from becoming a victim by making sure to lock all your doors. Use special locks for sliding glass doors which are especially vulnerable. Change your locks if you lose your keys, if they are stolen, or you move into a new home. Trim trees and shrubs because bad guys love to hide behind them. Install motion sensitive lights, and finally report suspicious activity.
