BELMONT, Mass. — Belmont Police are warning residents in the Winn Brook area to be vigilant as two people suspected of breaking into homes have not yet been caught and could be lurking in the area.
Officials are even telling homeowners to give police a call if someone approaches them asking them random questions near their home.
“We only heard helicopters, but we didn’t hear any police cars,” said Yong Chun, a resident.
Chun lives in the area and says he remembers hearing helicopters hovering over his house on Thursday night, but didn’t think anything of it.
“This is a safe neighborhood,” said Chun.
Belmont Police releasing this video of two suspects seen creeping around homes in the Winn Brook area.
Since August, Belmont’s Police Chief James Macisaac says there have been at least 15 break-ins in homes in the area.
In some cases, people were home when the break-ins happened.
“You think intuitively with more people home, things like this would happen less,” said Chun.
“What caught our eye is, people are home during those times, it’s [a] brazen [crime],” said MacIsaac.
In most cases, police say, the suspects are breaking in to homes later in the week, typically between Thursday and Sunday, usually during the early evening hours.
The suspects are usually seen walking through backyards, looking for areas that don’t have fences.
“They will try windows, doors, put a ladder up against the house, or use a porch to access the 2nd floor window,” said MacIsaac.
Residents are now being asked not to leave your ladders out and make sure they are stored inside of your house.
For one couple, they are hoping their dog will sense if something is wrong
“It doesn’t surprise me that people are predators, people don’t know his friendly, I think he is protective,” said Janet Welby, of Belmont.
Surrounding cities, and towns, like Arlington and Cambridge believe the same suspects are responsible for break-ins in that area as well.
The warning to residents from police remains: If you experience or observe any suspicious activity, don’t open the door and call police immediately.