New daylight burglary spree hits the island
Less than a month after Vero Beach Police nabbed a burglar responsible for at least nine beachside home burglaries, a new crime spree has struck the barrier island.
Officer John Morrison sent a crime alert Feb. 2 to members of the Central Beach Crime Watch informing them of eight burglaries -- four in zip code 32963 -- all of a similar nature.
The police at present do not have much information to go on. There have been no eyewitnesses and they are not sure if it is a single robber or more than one person committing the home burglaries.
All the crimes have taken place in daylight hours, with the thief gaining entry by throwing an object through a window and taking small items that can fit into a knapsack.
“We are seeing a pattern start to develop,” Morrison said. “They are happening during the day, the windows appear to be broken with something they find in the area, a rock or a brick. He is not carrying a tool to break in.”
The first crime took place on Jan. 14 at 446 19th Place and after another mainland break-in on the 18th, the island was struck for the first time.
That crime took place on Jan. 21 at 1520 Club Drive and the burglar took jewelry and 40 Hydrocodone pills valued at $4,700. A baseball sized rock from a flower bed was used to break a double-pane kitchen window.
After two similar crimes on the mainland on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26, Morrison noted three more beachside crimes in his alert. Those burglaries took place at 741 Acacia Road on Jan. 27, 316 Date Palm Road on Jan. 28 and Feb. 1 at 245 Holly Road.
Morrison said “the burglaries were committed during the daylight hours and entry was made by breaking a window. The suspect(s) are possibly riding a bicycle, but a vehicle should not be ruled out.”
