From the County’s website:
1/26/2009
Police Alert Gaithersburg Communities to Nighttime Residential Burglary Trend
Detectives from the 5th/6th District Investigative Section want to alert the communities surrounding the Montgomery Village area, of a developing trend of burglaries that have been occurring since mid December 2008, during the nighttime hours.
In most of the incidents, residents were at home and asleep during the burglaries. Entry has been gained mostly through garages and adjoining unlocked interior doors or other unlocked doors or windows. Also, once gaining entry the suspect(s) have taken loose items, such as laptops, wallets, and vehicle keys. In four burglaries, the victim’s vehicle was stolen.
The following are areas that have been affected by this trend:
- 20500 block of Highland Hall on Thursday, December 11, 2008, between 5:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Forced entry was made through the garage.
- 11000 block of Grassy Knoll on Monday, December 29, 2008, between 9:00 p.m. and Tuesday, December 30, 2008, at 7:00 a.m. Entry was made through an unlocked garage door.
- 8800 block of Brink Road on Tuesday, December 30, 2008, between 12:45 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Entry was made through an unlocked garage door.
- 20700 block of Highland Hall on Saturday, January 3, 2009, between 3:10 a.m. and 3:20 a.m. Entry was made through an unlocked front door.
- 100 block of Linden Hall Lane on Wednesday, January 7, 2009, at an unknown time. Entry was made through an unlocked side door. The homeowner’s vehicle was stolen.
- 13400 block of Accent Way on Tuesday, January 13, 2009, between 10:30 p.m. and Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 6:00 a.m. Forced entry was made through the front door.
- 19300 block of Churubusco Lane on Sunday, January 18, 2009, at 11:45 p.m. Entry was made through an unlocked sliding glass door.
- Unit block of Brook Run Court on Monday, January 19, 2009, between 3:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Entry was made through an unlocked rear door.
- Three burglaries occurred in the 18900 block of Blue Heron Lane on Monday, January 19, between 10:00 p.m. and Tuesday, January 20, 2009, at 6:30 a.m. Forced entry was made through garage doors. In one of these incidents, the homeowner’s vehicle was stolen. In another incident, the suspect(s) attempted to steal the homeowner’s vehicle.
- 18900 block of Marsh Hawk Lane on Monday, January 19, 2009, between 10:00 p.m. and Tuesday, January 20, 2009, at 6:30 a.m. Entry was made through an unlocked garage door. The homeowner’s homemade motorcycle was stolen.
- 8700 block of Waxwing Terrace on Monday, January 19, 2009, between 10:00 p.m. and Tuesday, January 20, 2009, at 6:30 a.m. Entry was made through an unlocked garage window.
- 100 block of Cherrywood Drive on Friday, January 23, 2009, at 3:15 am. Entry was made through an unlocked window. The homeowner’s vehicle was stolen.
Residential burglaries can be crimes of opportunity. Homeowners can protect their property by following good crime prevention practices. Always lock doors and windows, including vehicle doors. Keep outside lights on at night or install motion lights. Keep shrubbery trimmed and always advise neighbors when you are going to be away. There have been several instances when a burglary suspect has been caught because of an alert community member reporting suspicious persons or situations to police right away. This frequently allows officers to respond in time to take the offender into custody.
There is no suspect description for these incidents as most homeowners were asleep. If a burglary is in progress call 9-1-1. Anyone with information about the suspect(s) responsible for the burglaries in this release should call the 5th/6th District Investigative Section at 240-773-6237.
###
Contact: Media Services Division Phone: 240.773.5030