Allen on Alert for “Evening Burglar”

Allen police are worried the "evening burglar" has moved north.

Last Wednesday, two break-ins were reported in two different neighborhoods, one in the 1600 block of Broadmoor Drive and the other in the 1500 block of Terlingua Court, which is part of the Twin Creeks neighborhood.

In both cases, the burglars struck between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. while the family was away from home.

The burglar or burglars got away with cash and jewelry, one victim who did not want to be identified told NBC 5. She says her family had left to grab dinner. They were gone a little more than an hour.

Police believe the same burglar may be responsible for more than 20 similar crimes in Plano and North Dallas.

“That was the first we had that fit that MO since early December,” said Allen Police spokesman Sgt. Jon Felty. “If we could predict where they were going to strike, we’d be there waiting for them.”

According to police, the "evening burglar" usually strikes in the early evening hours.

He or she may be casing the neighborhood and watching victims leave their homes.

Police also say the crimes usually happen during the middle of the week, on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Allen police are hopeful the same pattern doesn’t emerge in their city.

They’re encouraging people to call in any tips about suspicious people or vehicles.

“At this point, we don’t have a person description or a vehicle description – and we need both,” Felty said.

Jeff Kerr, a Twin Creeks neighbor to one of the victims, says he’s aware of the crimes and that “everyone” he talks to is concerned about safety.

He told NBC 5 he wants to see the burglar caught “before it goes too far and someone really gets hurt”.