The break-ins are happening in the overnight hours mainly in neighborhoods near Waldo Wood Boulevard and Cary Parkway. Police say at least six of the burglaries are related.
One of the homeowners wants others to learn from her experience.
Helen Gragg says because she lives in Cary, crime is the last thing on her mind.
"I've been here at the house by myself and I've left the doors open," Gragg said.
Now, things are different since her home in Cary's Deveraux subdivision was one of six homes burglarized between Sunday night and Monday morning.
"Last night was the first night in 13 years, 12 years that we actually locked the cars," Gragg said. "We went back and double checked all the exterior doors. You lose that sense of security in your own home and that's not a pleasant feeling."
Gragg says she and her husband, George, left a door unlocked, making it possible for a burglar to enter their home while they were sleeping. The burglar stole Gragg's purse, which was sitting on the kitchen counter. She says she didn't know she had been victimized until she was about to head to work Monday morning.
"I got out to the car and I realized, oops, I don't have my purse," Gragg said. "So we came back in and couldn't find it."
Cary police say in all of the cases, the suspect entered through an unlocked door.
"People get complacent in their daily lives, and I think sometimes they take that safety for granted and they think they don't need to lock their doors but you should always lock your doors and you should always secure your valuables no matter where you're living," said Lt. Randall Rhyne, Cary Police Department.
It's advice Gragg is already following. She'll be retiring on Friday and plans to spend her first day of retirement getting a new drivers' license and picture ID. Those are tangible things she can replace. However, restoring her peace of mind will be a little more difficult to do.
"Yeah, the credit cards are gone and it's a hassle, but the big thing is, my personal space was violated," Gragg said. "I know one thing I'm going to be from now on, I'll be jolly on the spot calling someone if I see something that I feel that is suspicious."
Cary police continue to investigate the break-ins. If you have any information about the cases, please give them a call.Classifieds | Report A Typo |
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