Children, single mother slept during Oxford break-in

OXFORD, Mass. — A single mother of six says she doesn't feel safe in her own home, after someone broke into their Oxford residence while everyone was sleeping.

While the thief didn't take much overall, Tricia Sims says her sense of security is gone and she's hoping to warn others to be more careful.

"This was like our leave of mind out of the city, being in a country town out in the woods," said Sims, who moved with her children from Worcester to Oxford to make a fresh start.

Sims has battled stomach cancer twice, and moved to a neighborhood off Sutton Avenue, after she went into remission the second time.

But her quiet new neighborhood is now a source of anxiety after she says someone broke into her apartment Saturday morning, while she and five of her children were asleep

"My daughter came into my room and asked, 'Where’s the TV, Mom?' and I’m like, 'Downstairs, where it’s supposed to be" and she said, 'No, it’s not there," Sims said.

Sims believes the thief came in through her living room window.

They didn't steal much. Her TV was the most valuable item.

But she can't help think about someone being inside her home.

"My kids are upstairs sleeping and I’m a single mom, you know. I live here by myself with my children," she said.

Sims says her teenage daughter fell asleep on the couch that evening, but went upstairs to her room late that night.

"What if my daughter was still sleeping on the couch and they came in through the window with her there? Like, what would have happened?" she cried.

With money tight, she's concerned about how to make her home more secure. Police did help her replace her window with a more secure lock.

"Thinking about what happened, like, what would I have been able to do if things turned around and they decided to go upstairs? What would have happened to me and my children? Would I have been able to protect myself?” Sims cried.

Police took fingerprints from the window of the apartment, but at this point, they don't have any suspects.

Cox Media Group