Police flummoxed; yet to make any arrests.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: In a case eerily similar to one that afflicted northern Virginia a few years ago, as well as parts of Texas, a string of burglaries in Connecticut seem to be targeting Indian American households.
A number of burglaries in four municipalities – East Haven in the western part of the state, Norwalk in the southern part, Norwich and Groton in the eastern part – across Connecticut have taken the desi community by storm, as the burglars are clearly targeting Indian families for their jewelry and “valuable cultural artifacts.” Within a ten day-long span earlier this month, at least five connected burglaries occurred, leaving police hunting for clues.
The burglaries have been noted in states throughout the northeastern part of the country, with some occurring as far north as Maine.
Victims maintain that the perpetrators may have been following them, learning their daily routines in order to determine the best time to strike the houses. They normally enter through a sliding or glass door in the back of the house, which they break through to let themselves in. They then ransack the houses for gold and other valuables.
Speaking to local news affiliate Eyewitness News 3, police said that they are “looking at some of these cases and seeing intelligence bulletins around the Northeast.” They are notifying residents to keep their eyes peeled for cars that have out-of-state license plates, such as New York and New Jersey, keep their alarms on, and call police as soon as they see or hear anything suspicious in their area. Additionally, they are advised have friends periodically check their homes if they are ever way for a long time, and to keep valuables at the bank rather than at home.
Similar incidents that occurred in the Washington, DC-metro area in bursts over the last several years, and have also taken place in Houston, San Francisco, Boston, central Illinois, and Minneapolis – all of which have large Indian-American communities.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com