What to Know
- A brazen burglar is sneaking around a neighborhood in Queens and breaking into homes while victims sleep, the NYPD says
- The burglar gets into the homes through unlocked doors or windows in Ozone Park, often in the overnight or early hours, and steals cash
- Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at nypdcrimestoppers.com
Someone is breaking into homes through back doors in Queens, brazenly stealing cash and valuables while residents are sleeping, police say.
The burglar gets into the homes through unlocked rear doors or windows in Ozone Park, often in the overnight or early morning hours, and steals cash. In one incident in July, he took $8,000 in cash from a kitchen drawer while a 49-year-old man was sleeping on the couch, according to police.
He's taken $400 from a wallet in one home, and $600 from a jar in another.
One victim, Aileen Leibman, said her surveillance system captured the cat burglar trying to get into her back door and her back window as she and her family were sleeping inside.
"When he didn't get any luck with my house, he went across the driveway to my neighbor's home," she said.
"The sense of violation -- I'm not afraid anymore. I'm going to protect and defend what I need to," she said. "That's my boys."
Leibman's home is among five break-ins connected to the suspect, according to police: on July 22 in the area of 133rd Avenue and 84th Street; on Aug. 2 near 133rd Avenue and 83rd Street; on Aug. 18 near 79th Street and Pitkin Avenue; on Sept. 1 near 84th Street and 108th Ave.; and on Sept. 4 near 86th Street and Pitkin Avenue.
Local
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at nypdcrimestoppers.com.
