Sierra Oaks Burglary

Please read the following email from one our Sierra Oaks neighbors.

My name is _____ ______and I am a Sierra Oaks resident living at ---- American River Drive. I'd like to join SONA and participate, as well as to report the following news which I'm hoping you'll include in your SONA newsletter as well as any websites or blogs providing crime alerts for our neighborhood.

On Monday evening, January 12th, at approximately 6:30 P.M., my home was burglarized. It was just about two minutes before I arrived home from work. What makes this case interesting is that the thief or thieves were definitely professionals; not only were they wearing cloth gloves so as not to leave fingerprints, but they didn't seem the least bit daunted by the "Protected by ADT Security System" signs I had posted in the front and back yard, as well as the ADT stickers on each and every window of the house. They systematically cut the screens over each of the windows facing the back and side yards, searching for a window which might have been left unlocked by accident. Not finding one, they broke off a screen and forced open a window, entering the house while setting off the alarm. Strangely, they thought they could disarm the alarm system, and accordingly ripped the alarm system keypad from the wall. Moving around the house, they found the alarm siren and smashed it with what the sherriffs deputies think was a crowbar so it would stop ringing. After searching the house, all they could find to take was my laptop computer and a few books of checks from the bank. Perhaps sensing that the police were on their way, or having heard me open the garage door, the culprits fled through the alley and over a relatively low fence on the right side of my house. There are all kinds of bushes as well as some hedges on the side of the house, and we think the culprits hid for a few minutes on their way out. The sheriff deputies dusted for fingerprints the following day but found only a glove print. They told me that they have no information with which to work in order to attempt to catch the thieves.

All of this is disturbing news, but it does illustrate the points that burglaries in our neighborhood are indeed taking place, and that the professional thieves committing the crimes are "casing" the neighborhood, trying to identify homes showing no signs of present residents. It also shows us that the conventional security systems such as ADT apparently don't deter the thieves, who will still enter the house and stick around despite an alarm blazing and knowledge that the police are on the way. Please report this information to SONA so that everyone will be aware and take the proper precautions.