DETROIT – Residents of Detroit’s North Rosedale Park keep an extra eye out for one another after learning that another elderly resident living alone has become the target of a serial burglar.
Since May, the Detroit Police Department says, there have been nearly a dozen break-ins and attempted breaks. What’s even more concerning, in some of those cases, the residents were at home at the time.
Outer Drive is a well-lit area with plenty of traffic, yet none of that doesn’t deter the burglar as he walks up to the homes he’s targeting with a crowbar, trying to force his way into homes no matter if they’re occupied or not.
“It’s unsettling,” said John Enot. “They’re afraid to come out.”
On either side of Enot’s home are two elderly women living alone.
The pair of women have something else in common as both have become the targets of the burglar on Enot’s home surveillance video.
“He definitely knows what he’s doing,” said Detroit police 8th Precinct Captain Brian Bowser. “It’s not his first rodeo.”
Detroit police said the attempted break-in happened in May. An overgrown bush shielded the suspect in the area that went from one window to the next.
Investigators say the suspect spent about 10-minutes trying to pry his way in with no luck. All the while, the homeowner was inside.
“He didn’t run to his car,” Enot said. “He just walked real casually and got into his car and took off.”
The suspect wasn’t gone for long as he noticed that he had forgotten something and pulled up in the driveway to retrieve it.
“It’s like you’re being violated,” said Dr. Kim Logan Nowlin.
Logan Nowlin is the Outer Drive block captain, and at least three of the incidents police are investigating happened on her block.
“It disturbs me because now our senior citizens are being prayed upon,” Logan Nowlin said.
Police said there was a pattern as the man, who is 6′0′ and about 30 years old, appeared to be working alone and targeted older women living alone.
“We’re really concerned about this because some of the homes are occupied at the time of the break-ins,” Bowser said.
The surveillance video doesn’t provide a good look at the suspect’s face, but police are hopeful someone recognizes his mannerisms, the unique t-shirt he was seen wearing, or the vehicle, which is an early 2000 model black or dark blue Lincoln LS.
Anyone with information should contact police.