shooterx10
Member
- Joined
- May 8, 2003
- Messages
- 159
Notice that the cops don't recommend you have a gun in case the robbers have more in mind than just robbing things? :banghead:
Crime wave in the still of night
By TY PHILLIPS
BEE STAFF WRITER
Published: August 14, 2003, 06:17:38 AM PDT
The hooded men break down the doors of country homes in the early morning hours, usually between midnight and 6 a.m.
They rush inside and head for the bedrooms, waking people with shouts and waving guns in their faces. They tie up the victims and search their houses for loot, consistently finding money and jewelry.
And then they're gone.
"Could it be the same three to six guys doing all these robberies? Absolutely," Stanislaus County sheriff's spokesman Tom Letras said. "But could it be different groups of guys each time? Again, the answer is yes. That's exactly what we're trying to figure out right now."
The Sheriff's Department has logged 17 home-invasion robberies this year, including eight since May 23. Sheriff's detectives investigated just six such crimes last year.
For the most part, the robberies have been taking place in rural homes in and around Turlock, Keyes and Ceres. But people in Modesto, Delhi and rural northern Merced County also have become victims.
The case is being worked by more than a dozen detectives from the Stanislaus and Merced county sheriff's departments and the Modesto, Ceres and Turlock police departments. So far, there are no suspects.
"This is a high priority for us," said Detective Ed Campbell, who is leading the Stanislaus sheriff's investigation. "We're using all the resources we can because of the severity of these crimes. They're very scary for people.
"We're trying to find similarities and match up evidence. Most of them have been in the greater Turlock area. It's always more than one person. They're armed and their faces are covered. In that respect, they're linked and similar."
Still, investigators say they have not uncovered any evidence which conclusively determines that the recent robberies are the work of one group.
For the most part, those who have complied with the robbers' orders have not been injured. However, one man required hospital treatment for a severe jaw injury. Robbers have pistol-whipped others.
"Most of the injuries we've had have been assaults," Letras said. "Especially if they think the homeowner is holding out on them, not telling them where the money is."
Victims are terrified
The crimes have another similarity: They leave their victims feeling terrified. And that sense of fear has spread to other people living in rural areas around Turlock who fear they could become a target.
"It's frustrating," said a 29-year-old woman who lives near Hughson. "You pay a lot more money to live out in the country. And it gives you a false sense of security. Then you find out people target people in the country because there's nobody around."
After hearing about a home-invasion robbery Monday in Keyes, the Hughson woman called a friend to warn her. The friend told the woman about a similar crime that happened the same week.
That prompted the woman to have a security door installed and to resume using her alarm system.
"It worries us enough for us to call each other and let each other know what's going on," she said. "Where I live, we like to watch out for our neighbors. For the last few nights, it's been kind of creepy."
Stanislaus County sheriff's detectives ask anyone with information about the home-invasion robberies to call 525-7074.
Bee staff writer Ty Phillips can be reached at 578-2331 or [email protected].
AT A GLANCE
The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department offered these tips to help people keep from becoming targets of home-invasion robbers:
Make sure that the exterior of your home is well-lighted.
Eliminate any large trees or brush that block the view of your front door from the street.
Make sure that all exterior doors and windows are locked and secure.
If there is a door that leads from your garage directly into the house, make sure it is locked and secure.
Do not keep large amounts of cash in your home.
If you have a burglar alarm, be sure you have it armed.
The Sheriff's Department also offered these life-saving tips should you become the victim of a home-invasion robbery:
Stay calm and cooperate. No amount of cash or property is worth getting hurt or killed.
Don't fight back. Instead, concentrate on getting information so you can be an effective witness.
Look carefully at the intruders, even if they are masked. Is there something unique about them such as scars, tattoos, eye color, accents, large or small facial features? What color is their clothing? Note any distinguishing writing or brand names on shirts, hats or shoes. Listen to everything they say, and how they say it. Catch any distinguishing odors such as tobacco, alcohol or aftershave.
Here is the link.
Crime wave in the still of night
By TY PHILLIPS
BEE STAFF WRITER
Published: August 14, 2003, 06:17:38 AM PDT
The hooded men break down the doors of country homes in the early morning hours, usually between midnight and 6 a.m.
They rush inside and head for the bedrooms, waking people with shouts and waving guns in their faces. They tie up the victims and search their houses for loot, consistently finding money and jewelry.
And then they're gone.
"Could it be the same three to six guys doing all these robberies? Absolutely," Stanislaus County sheriff's spokesman Tom Letras said. "But could it be different groups of guys each time? Again, the answer is yes. That's exactly what we're trying to figure out right now."
The Sheriff's Department has logged 17 home-invasion robberies this year, including eight since May 23. Sheriff's detectives investigated just six such crimes last year.
For the most part, the robberies have been taking place in rural homes in and around Turlock, Keyes and Ceres. But people in Modesto, Delhi and rural northern Merced County also have become victims.
The case is being worked by more than a dozen detectives from the Stanislaus and Merced county sheriff's departments and the Modesto, Ceres and Turlock police departments. So far, there are no suspects.
"This is a high priority for us," said Detective Ed Campbell, who is leading the Stanislaus sheriff's investigation. "We're using all the resources we can because of the severity of these crimes. They're very scary for people.
"We're trying to find similarities and match up evidence. Most of them have been in the greater Turlock area. It's always more than one person. They're armed and their faces are covered. In that respect, they're linked and similar."
Still, investigators say they have not uncovered any evidence which conclusively determines that the recent robberies are the work of one group.
For the most part, those who have complied with the robbers' orders have not been injured. However, one man required hospital treatment for a severe jaw injury. Robbers have pistol-whipped others.
"Most of the injuries we've had have been assaults," Letras said. "Especially if they think the homeowner is holding out on them, not telling them where the money is."
Victims are terrified
The crimes have another similarity: They leave their victims feeling terrified. And that sense of fear has spread to other people living in rural areas around Turlock who fear they could become a target.
"It's frustrating," said a 29-year-old woman who lives near Hughson. "You pay a lot more money to live out in the country. And it gives you a false sense of security. Then you find out people target people in the country because there's nobody around."
After hearing about a home-invasion robbery Monday in Keyes, the Hughson woman called a friend to warn her. The friend told the woman about a similar crime that happened the same week.
That prompted the woman to have a security door installed and to resume using her alarm system.
"It worries us enough for us to call each other and let each other know what's going on," she said. "Where I live, we like to watch out for our neighbors. For the last few nights, it's been kind of creepy."
Stanislaus County sheriff's detectives ask anyone with information about the home-invasion robberies to call 525-7074.
Bee staff writer Ty Phillips can be reached at 578-2331 or [email protected].
AT A GLANCE
The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department offered these tips to help people keep from becoming targets of home-invasion robbers:
Make sure that the exterior of your home is well-lighted.
Eliminate any large trees or brush that block the view of your front door from the street.
Make sure that all exterior doors and windows are locked and secure.
If there is a door that leads from your garage directly into the house, make sure it is locked and secure.
Do not keep large amounts of cash in your home.
If you have a burglar alarm, be sure you have it armed.
The Sheriff's Department also offered these life-saving tips should you become the victim of a home-invasion robbery:
Stay calm and cooperate. No amount of cash or property is worth getting hurt or killed.
Don't fight back. Instead, concentrate on getting information so you can be an effective witness.
Look carefully at the intruders, even if they are masked. Is there something unique about them such as scars, tattoos, eye color, accents, large or small facial features? What color is their clothing? Note any distinguishing writing or brand names on shirts, hats or shoes. Listen to everything they say, and how they say it. Catch any distinguishing odors such as tobacco, alcohol or aftershave.
Here is the link.
