‘Tis the season for burglary, police caution

DETROIT – With warm weather come high spirits, spring flowers – and burglars.

“We can truly say summer has started,” Maine State Trooper Hugh Landry said Wednesday. “The increase in calls shows it.”

“They’re back,” Pittsfield Police Chief Steve Emery said, referring to the culprits behind a spate of incidents in his town since the weather took a summery turn.

On Wednesday, Pittsfield Officer Michael Cote was investigating an attempted home invasion on Nichols Street. Cote said the homeowner was awakened about 4:30 a.m. by a male using a pry bar to get into her front door. The woman confronted the man who said he thought his ex-girlfriend lived there.

“Then he ran,” Cote said.

The man was described as between 15 and 21 years old, Caucasian and heavy-set.

Landry was busy Wednesday investigating the daytime theft of a purse from a vehicle at the Maine Store.

The incident began when Tammy Basford of Detroit went into the Maine Store Wednesday to exchange a propane tank. While inside, someone entered her vehicle and stole her purse. Landry said that once she realized her purse was missing, she noticed that only one other vehicle was in the parking lot and she was able to copy its license plate down as it was leaving.

Cote said homeowners need to be careful, particularly at this time of year as the weather is warming up.

“People are hard up, some of them are desperate,” Cote said. He cautioned people to lock their cars, garages and homes. “Be aware of your surroundings and report anything suspicious,” he said.

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