According to Houlton Police Chief Joe McKenna, five residences were broken into between midnight and 4 a.m. Friday, while the occupants of all five homes were asleep.
Homes on Alfred, Rodgers, Columbia and South streets, as well as Ridgeview Drive were all burglarized during this time period. At least one of the home burglaries was a scene straight out of “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” as one couple awoke to find presents under their tree had been stolen.
“With the exception of one of these cases, the individuals targeted homes with attached garages,” McKenna said. “They pried open the garage door and entered the home through an unsecured door leading from the garage. These events occurred while people were in the homes sleeping.”
On Monday evening, a home on Watson Avenue was also burglarized, while the residents were home. According to McKenna no items were taken from that residence as the burglars were apparently scared off before they could find anything of value. That home was not locked, he said.
Wallets, purses, loose change, cell phones, gift cards and in one case, Christmas gifts were taken from the homes, he said. Those gifts were located outside the home after they had been opened. Some of the gifts were found discarded after they had been opened as the thieves were only looking for certain types of items that could be quickly converted into cash.
“Going into occupied homes is pretty brazen,” the chief said.
Some of the homes were not locked, McKenna said. He added other residents in that area showed signs of attempted break-ins, but the burglars were not successful. The total combined value of the items stolen was about $1,000, he added.
The Maine State Police K-9 Unit was called to track the subjects. Police were able to follow a trail, but the scent was lost, indicating that the subjects likely entered a vehicle at some point, McKenna said.
The chief suggested residents should install deadbolt locks on their exterior doors in an effort to deter burglars.
“Given that this is the holiday season, I would also suggest that you keep your window blinds closed and try not to keep any valuables in sight of your windows and doors,” McKenna said. “If you hear any strange noises during the night or see something that just doesn’t seem right, please call us right away.”
