Police: Burglars Use Obits To Find Victims

[The Straight Story]

Police: Burglars Use Obits To Find Victims
Crooks Target Out-Of-Town Funeral Goers

PORT ORANGE, Fla. -- Police are alerting homeowners to a new crime trend in central Florida where burglars comb newspapers, searching for obituaries to find homes they can target while the owners attend funerals.

Local 6’s Erik Von Ancken traveled to the Crane Lakes Community in Port Orange, the latest neighborhood to be hit.

Police said crooks monitor the local newspapers to find a list of homeowners who put personal information in the obituaries that lets the thieves know a home will be vacant.

On March 12, two Port Orange families posted an obituary that stated their sister died in New Hampshire and that her burial would be in Maine. Thieves took note that the surviving sisters’ homes would likely be empty while they attended.

Neighbors said they believe burglars cased the houses to make sure they were empty before breaking with a pry bar and knocking out the lock.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/22926844/detail.html

[SoFlaJet]

1. The level of scumbagery

has sunk to a NEW low

[Liberal In Texas]

2. Not a new method for crooks, I've heard about it for at least 20 years,

but something to keep in mind if you have a loved one die. Get a neighbor to sit the house during the funeral.

[WinkyDink]

3. I also knew about this decades ago. NOT rocket science.

[safeinOhio]

4. In Toledo

they caught a pair that would target cars in shopping centers that had marks on the windows from GPSs and garage door openers on the visors. They'd steal both. Go to "take me home" on the GPS to find the home and then use the door openers to get in the garage and thru it to rob the house.