Suspect Burglarizing St. Paul Homes While Residents Are Inside
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- Police in St. Paul are investigating a string of burglaries while people were inside their home.
In some cases, people came face-to-face with the burglar.
On Saturday, police say seven homes were burglarized in the Prosperity Heights and Hayden neighborhoods on the city's east side. Four of the burglaries happened on East Maryland Avenue, between Kennard and Van Dyke streets.
Two more on Flandrau Street. Another one happened a block away. WCCO's Reg Chapman has the latest on the investigation.
Although some homeowners came face to face with the person who broke into their home, no one has been hurt. Now, investigators are looking for help in identifying the person or persons who are burglarizing occupied homes.
From the early morning of Sept. 15 until the early morning of Sept. 16, seven homes on the East side of St. Paul were burglarized.
"I think it's just alarming for any of us in the neighborhood that we are in our homes and someone is in the house while we are in the house," Amy Hubbard said.
Amy Hubbard is one of several people in the Prosperity Heights and Hayden neighborhoods who woke up to learn their sense of safety had been shattered. Her small dogs were the first to notice something wrong.
"They woke me up because they kept jumping on the bed and making a lot of noise so I thought maybe my husband was still here and they wanted downstairs to be with him," Hubbard said.
The dogs ran downstairs, forcing whoever had rummaged through the main level and basement of her home to run.
"I heard our back door just slam shut and I thought maybe my husband had left, but when I got downstairs, I saw my wallet had been strewn out across the floor," Hubbard said.
Home security cameras captured images of the person seen moving through the neighborhood. The person they are looking for is between 16 and 22 years old.
"Dark hooded sweatshirt, dark pants, some have described him as skinny, some describe him as medium build. We don't know if we are dealing with one suspect or multiple suspects," Sgt. Mike Ernster with the St. Paul Police Department said.
Investigators believe someone out there can identify, or has home additional video that will help catch the person responsible.
"If anyone has any video of people moving around we would like to see them," Ernster said.
The suspect is using unlocked windows and patio doors to get inside the homes. There were also burglaries of at least five other homes in the Summit Hill and Mac Groveland area of St. Paul earlier in the month.
Police are not sure if the burglaries are related.
