There has been a lot of discussion here lately about daytime burglaries. A couple in Missouri was recently arrested clear around 60 burglaries. I'm posting a news article on it because it describes how they operated:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...06971800ED03ADEB86257515005BC2F4?OpenDocument
About the only defense to this would be an alarm system and hardened entry points.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne...06971800ED03ADEB86257515005BC2F4?OpenDocument
Couple accused of breaking into nearly 60 homes
By Joel Currier
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
12/05/2008
A couple broke into nearly 60 homes across five Missouri counties, stealing thousands of dollars of goods — including guns, jewelry and knives — then sold the loot to a Warrenton jeweler, authorities said Thursday.
The burglaries were reported in Lincoln, Warren, Pike, Audrain and Montgomery counties over the past two months, authorities said.
Kibb P. Howard, 27, and his wife Carla, 26, both of Laddonia, Mo., in Audrain County, and Michael C. Sifrit, 42, of Fenton, were jailed Thursday in Warren County, facing multiple charges. Investigators are seeking federal indictments against the trio, said Lt. Andy Binder of the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department.
The Howards stole to fuel their addiction to heroin, Binder said.
Local and federal investigators seized about 100 stolen guns and knives, as well as stereo equipment, flat-screen televisions and even three swords from Sifrit's home, Binder said.
Some guns were taken from Sifrit's Warrenton store, S&S Jewelers, which authorities say Sifrit used as a front to sell stolen property.
At a news conference Thursday at the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department, investigators said the Howards admitted to burglarizing between 50 and 60 homes in daytime robberies. Officials said the couple stole about 150 weapons. Dozens of rifles, shotguns, scopes, bows and arrows, knives, televisions, stereo equipment, radios, a video game system, an electric guitar, power tools and other items were displayed on a table.
Over several weeks, Binder said, multiple witnesses in the five counties described the same couple pulling up to homes in a maroon Jeep Cherokee, knocking on doors to see if anyone was inside. If someone answered the door, Binder said, Carla Howard would tell the person she was coming "to pick up puppies." If not, Binder said, she would alert her husband in the car and they would break in.
The Howards are charged with burglary, stealing, possession of heroin and endangering the welfare of a child because there were children in their home where heroin was kept, prosecutors said.
Sifrit is being held on a weapons possession charge while authorities prepare to file additional charges.
The Howards were each being held Thursday in lieu of $10,000 cash-only bail. Sifrit was being held on $100,000 cash-only bail.
The Howards were arrested Tuesday at a friend's house in Truesdale in Warren County. Binder said the arrests came after a more than six-week collaborative investigation among departments from the five counties, Warrenton police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sheriff's Detective Shannon Bowen said investigators believe Sifrit also got stolen weapons from others and sold hundreds on eBay.
Investigators believe there may be more victims, and are asking them to contact police.
Sifrit opened S&S Jewelers at least a year ago, said Dena Laske, who works at the Medicine Shoppe pharmacy in the same plaza as the jewelry store. She said she became suspicious after spotting Sifrit showing a large rifle to a customer some time ago, and because of his random store hours.
"I just thought that was kind of weird," Laske said.
Her boss, pharmacist Randy Powers of O'Fallon, Mo., bought earrings and a watch from Sifrit in the last year that he believes were not stolen property.
He said Sifrit was friendly and sometimes held charity food drives.
"I hope it's a mistake," he said. "But it doesn't look like it."
About the only defense to this would be an alarm system and hardened entry points.
