COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A rash of thefts on the city's East Side has homeowners afraid to let down their guards.
NBC 4 investigated and spoke with a victim Tuesday.
One local family learned the hard way early Tuesday morning that crime doesn't take a break during the holidays.
A suspect broke into and ransacked their home while they were sleeping
It didn't take Jim Burcham long to realize something was wrong as he pulled up to his East Side home on Jed Court at about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.
"When I return home from work, the first thing I see is my wife's truck is not in the driveway," he said.
"As I start to pull around and look for my wife's truck, I realize our door is standing propped open," Burcham said. "At that point I got a sinking feeling."
Burcham's wife, two daughters and 2-year-old granddaughter all were asleep inside.
"For a minute, I really didn't even want to walk in the house because I was scared of what I might find."
Fortunately, everyone was OK. Unfortunately, they were robbed.
His wife's truck, her purse and their brand-new TV were among the stolen items.
"Our old TV was starting to go bad. So, we thought, this year, we're going to get a group gift for everybody, and everybody wanted to get a TV," he said.
Burcham said he believes the suspects gained entry into the house by forcing open a kitchen window and crawling through.
Tuesday's incident wasn't unusual, either.
There were at least 10 other similar crimes in the immediate area during the last two weeks, according to Columbus police.
Burcham said he called Columbus police around 3 a.m. after his daughter saw someone looking through a neighbor's window.
He said he's upset that it took police an hour to respond after he discovered the theft.
CPD said the call was made during a shift change and because Burcham knew there was no one inside and there was no immediate danger, officers might have been tied up on a call of a higher priority.
If you have any information on this rash of crimes, you were asked to contact Columbus police at 614-645-4545.
Police reminded all residents to make sure their windows and doors are locked before they turn in for the night.
INTERACTIVE THEFT MAP
View HOME BURGLARIES, EAST SIDE in a larger map
For additional information, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com -- Where Accuracy Matters.
To submit a story idea or news tip, e-mail stories@nbc4i.com.
MORE: NBC 4 Local News | Local Crime News
NBC 4 SPORTS: Sports News, Video
NBC 4 POLITICS: Headlines, Interactives & Video
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement