Pattern similar to burglaries in New Jersey and Texas, earlier.
AB Wire
A total of six Indian American families have been burgled by a gang of burglars in the Germantown area of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this year, say local reports.
Police Chief Peter Hoell said officers responded to two more burglaries on Monday, bringing the total of burglaries in the village to six this year. The victims in all six cases are Indian Americans, and so far that’s the only connection, reported the local affiliate of ABC News
“We tried checking with maybe churches or organizations or relationships. There’s no link between all the victims,” Hoell said.
One victim, who asked not to be publicly identified, said he also couldn’t explain the crimes. He said his family has lived in the area for 15 years and never had a problem but he is now afraid to leave his house because the burglars are targeting unoccupied homes.
“It was a big surprise, and I was even more surprised to learn that there had been a series of them already going on that I hadn’t heard about. I try to stay on top of that kind of thing, so it’s scary,” said A.J. Schroeder, a victim’s neighbor.
Hoell said neighbors can play a part in catching the burglars.
“These are happening during the day, so it’s not like they’re trying to hide. People may be seeing something they’re not aware is actually suspicious. They should call us,” he said.
So far, police don’t have any witnesses, but they have collected DNA at least one of the burglary scenes. They’re waiting for results from the state crime lab that could give them a break.
The local affiliate of Fox News reported one family who was burgled saying: “It was a kind of scary situation. We have this back patio door — it was completely smashed. All the drawers were pulled out. Clothes were thrown.”
“What the burglars are taking are small valuables — jewelry, money, things of that nature,” Hoell said. “They didn`t find much. They didn`t take much.”
The cases are similar to what has happened in other states like New Jersey and Texas where there are a large number of Indian families. A gang of burglars were also nabbed and it was revealed that they were targeting Indian families to loot gold and other valuables.