2 reports of burglars targeting homes in Shorewood; "Can't imagine anything more frightening"



SHOREWOOD -- Police are investigating two separate reports of burglars targeting homes in Shorewood within the past week. In both cases, police say the homeowners scared off the criminals -- but still, it has left many in the usually safe neighborhood shaken.

Early on Friday morning, July 22nd, a Shorewood man woke up to someone trying to climb through his basement window. He told FOX6 News this wasn't the first time thieves have eyed his property.

Crime is rare on Shorewood Boulevard, so news of the attempted break-in at a home on the corner spread quickly.

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"They were trying to get access by knocking out a panel where there`s a vent coming out of the dryer. That would then allow them to open latches and might enable them to go through the window," the homeowner, Steve said.

Before the suspect could get inside, Steve scared off the would-be burglar by yelling to his wife.

Police say a similar incident was reported a few blocks away -- and a few days later on East Menlo.

"I can`t imagine something more frightening than encountering someone in your house," Andrea Johnson said.

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Johnson said after hearing about both of these crimes in Shorewood, she is encouraging her neighbors to assess their home's security.

"We had the Shorewood police come out to our house maybe a year-and-a-half ago when there had been a robbery close by to just look at everything and give us some feedback," Johnson said.

Despite Shorewood's family-friendly, low-crime reputation, Steve told FOX6 News the recent incident is the fourth time his home has been targeted. He said the key is to strike a balance between being practical and being prepared when it comes to protecting yourself from criminals.

Steve's home



"You don`t want to wall yourself off like a fortress, but by the same token, you want to be aware that that could happen. Maybe after four incidents I`ll learn my lesson of trying to be very thorough," Steve said.

In the incident on East Menlo, police say the burglar was able to get into the home through an unlocked window.

The homeowner woke up -- scaring the burglar off.

Police are looking for a suspect or suspects in both cases.

Shorewood