Crime & Safety
Batavians Concerned about 3 Burglaries When Residents Were at Home
"This is happening in our neighborhood with kids in their beds at night," one resident says.
Batavia police are reporting three home burglaries in the Woodland Hills area since Aug. 5 that took place while the residents were at home.
The burglaries were reported in the 900 to 1200 blocks of Woodland Hills Drive and the 1600 block of Wagner Road between Aug. 5 and Aug. 14, 2013, Batavia police Detective Sgt. Shawn Mazza said Wednesday afternoon.
Mazza said there were no confrontations between the residents and the burglars.
"In all three cases, the burglars are not waking the people up," he said. "They're going in and taking basically electronic items — small electronic devices and cell phones."
Mazza said that nighttime burglaries are rare, in part because of the would-be burglar's high risk for limited reward.
The Batavia Police Department is asking residents to make sure overhead garage doors and first-floor windows are closed and locked before going to bed or leaving the home, and that people keep their valuables out of plain view.
"If you're going to charge your cellphone, charge it upstairs or in your bedroom," he said.
Residents of the area asked why the burglaries had not been reported in the police blotter. One resident said she was concerned because she heard about an additional burglary Tuesday night to a home on Giese Road but hadn't read anything about the incidents in local media.
"This is happening in our neighborhood with kids in their beds at night," she resident said.
