Police Investigate String of Burglaries on Staten Island

Burglars typically entered through second-story windows in the back.

Police are investigating a string of burglaries in an upscale Staten Island neighborhood -- in one case where burglars made off with nearly $40,000 worth of valuables.

Within a matter of days, a burglar or burglars have broken into four homes in the Lighthouse Hill neighborhood.

Homeowner Donald Derosa returned from a weekend in Florida to find jewelry and valuables gone.

"He got in through the bathroom window on the second floor in the back," Derosa said.

According to the Staten Island Advance, that was a similar mode of entry in all the cases. Burglars entered through rear windows and headed for bedrooms, looking for jewelry.

Neighbor Frank Lopo said residents on the block are jittery.

"It changes the way you live," he said. "Now, if you go away, you have to have someone watch your house."

Late last year, three other tony Staten Island neighborhoods -- Todt Hill, Grymes Hill and Emerson Hill also experienced a string of break-ins, but at this point, police are not making a connection.

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