The Victim: William Duran
The Crime: Theft
Date: Saturday, May 22
Time: Between 8 p.m. (May 22) and 2:30 p.m. (May 23)
Location: 3400 block of Oakhurst
The lights went out.
It had been a great Saturday night. William Duran’s son had graduated from high school. His mother and father were very proud, and the whole family had gone out for a nice dinner. After such a celebration, everyone was in high spirits.
Those positive feelings turned into feelings of frustration on Sunday as Duran realized that sometime during the commotion, he had been the victim of a crime at his Bobolinks Estates home.
“We had about $450 of landscape lighting stolen,” he says. “I had some pretty expensive LED lighting that changed the colors on the house. It may have been someone who knew what they were doing because they left behind the cheaper solar lighting.”
Because the family was out late and he had other things on his mind, Duran says he did not notice the theft until Sunday.
“I noticed some of the lights were out, but thought maybe the yard guys had bumped or unplugged the timer,” he says. “It’s left me feeling very vulnerable. This is pretty bad.”
Dallas Police Officer A.J. Serratos with the Northeast Patrol Division says stealing landscape lighting is a rare crime, but that burglars might indeed be looking for the more expensive lighting equipment.
“It’s not common to steal landscape lighting unless the lighting is expensive or has some type of metal that’s worth some money,” Serratos says.
A criminal may actually just be looking for scrap metals to sell for cash, Serratos says, adding that lighting can actually be very important in trying to prevent crime if it illuminates a home’s exterior.
“I like sensor lighting because it catches you by surprise and makes the thief think twice about committing the crime,” Serratos says, “but overall, a well-lit house is better then a non-lit house.”
A well-lit exterior adds to a thief’s concerns about being seen, and may cause the crook to move on to other home, Serratos says.
–SEAN CHAFFIN
