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Burglaries In Montgomery County Have Homeowners On Alert

By Diana Rocco

UPPER PROVIDENCE Twp., Pa., (CBS) -- A rash of break-ins throughout Montgomery County has neighbors talking.

"A little concerning, but I think we have a pretty good neighborhood and everyone's watching out," neighbor Michael Mead said.

Police say as many as seven homes have been hit and there were numerous other failed attempts throughout June and July in Collegeville, Royersford and Phoenixville, west of Route 29 and in upscale developments off of South Mennonite Road.

The burglars are hitting during the day and at night, and police believe they are stalking the houses, waiting for the homeowners to leave before making their move.

"They've occurred when the residents were away from home, all of them involved forced entries," Detective Patrick Haines of Upper Providence Police said. "Some windows were pried, in other cases doors were kicked in."

The burglars are looking for items they can grab quickly without taking a lot of time in the house.

"It appeared that the actors focused primarily on stealing money and jewelry from the residences," Haines said. "For anyone going away on vacation, stop your mail service, your paper deliveries.  At nighttime, keep your flood lights and exterior lights activated."

Upper Providence Police have increased patrols to the targeted areas.

Neighbor Michael Mead says he's had a break-in down the street and says neighbors are watching each other's homes and reporting anything out of the ordinary.

"It's a little surprising, but overall I think that people are uncomfortable, but I think they're just being extra cautious," Mead said.

Police say these thieves have already gotten away with thousands of dollars in stolen items. They are working their leads trying to figure out if this is one or more group of burglars involved in these recent break-ins. They're asking anyone who sees anything suspicious to give them a call.

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