True crime: TV, laptop and more stolen

The Victim: Stacie Barnett
The Crime: Burglary
Date: Thursday, July 21
Time: Between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Location: 6500 block of Valesco

The NFL lockout ended in late July, and football fans across the country rejoiced. Americans would not miss those game-day Sundays, which for many people means plopping down on the couch to catch the action.

Stacie Barnett says her husband is one of those, and their 60-inch Sony television was perfect for a close-up view of the game.

But while the lockout may be over, criminals never take a day off. While Barnett and her husband were at work, a burglar broke in through their back doors and went on an electronics and jewelry stealing spree.

“They tried to kick in the door and then pried it open,” Barnett says. “They knew what had value on the street and went straight for them. The police have been great, and they gave me some security tips.”

Along with the television and jewelry, the burglar made off with a smaller flat-screen TV, Blue-ray DVD player, an Apple G4 computer and her daughter’s brand new laptop computer. The theft was disappointing in that Barnett had many of her children’s baby pictures stored on the Apple computer, and her daughter had some pictures on her laptop. Both computers had not been backed up, unfortunately.

Despite the loss, Barnett chose to look on the bright side. No one had been home and in danger, and the family’s dog, which is a bit old and in poor health, made it through the crime OK.

“There are worse things in the world,” she says. “We’re safe and even our dog’s safe.”

Sr. Cpl. Geoff Pettay of the Northeast Patrol Division says the family’s alarm did not sound in this case, giving burglars plenty of time in the home.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t take very long at all to commit a burglary or any theft,” he says. “Most burglars have an idea of what they are looking for before they get into a house. In this case, electronics were taken and even a big-screen TV can easily be removed.”

Police told Barnett her open windows gave easy views of her home interior, and Pettay says this helps a criminal focus in on a target.

“A suspect will look first at the house, and be able to tell whether someone is home. If the blinds or curtains are left open, they will easily be able to look inside the home and know if nobody is there. So when they ring the doorbell or knock, when no one answers, that tells them it is OK to kick in the back door and commit the offense. By shutting the blinds and curtains, it isn’t as obvious to the burglar if someone is home or not. And most times the burglar is not looking for a confrontation, so they will go elsewhere if not certain if the home is empty or not.”