SCRANTON -- Police in Scranton think a rash of burglaries last weekend and another on Wednesday are all connected, and in some of the cases, the burglars came in the houses when the homeowners were asleep.
Scranton Police Chief Carl Graziano just confirmed that there was another burglary late Tuesday night or early Wednesday, making a total of six burglaries in Scranton's north end since Saturday.
Police think they are all connected and have a description of a possible suspect.
Norm Woyshnar says the hot weather last weekend kept his neighbor on Parker Street from noticing that someone was at his side window.
"They were sleeping upstairs with air conditioners on, and whoever it was went down the side by that pickup truck, opened up the window and took the laptop out. They never went in the house."
The same thing happened on the same night only a block away on Throop Street. Burglars stole laptops and other electronics from a home while the people who lived there slept.
Scranton police say there have been six burglaries in this north end neighborhood since Saturday.
"In the last 10, 15 years I've changed. I used to leave my doors open, my windows, no more. Before I go to bed I make sure all the windows are locked, the doors are locked."
At a home on Parker Street, the homeowner was sleeping in this first floor bedroom and just one room away, the burglar broke a window screen, jumped over the kitchen sink, and stole a purse.
The same thing happened at a home on Wilbur Street but the situation got a bit worse. A set of car keys was in the purse, so the car was stolen, too.
Police say the car was dumped near railroad tracks a few blocks away but a witness told officers she saw a young man walking away from the stolen car carrying a duffle bag.
Until the burglar is caught, one victim warned his neighbors to keep car keys in a hidden spot since purses seem to be a target. Others are just trying to be more attentive.
"There's not a lot we really can do. We have metal doors. We have dead bolts. We have security. There's not a whole lot more we can do. I guess if it's noisy outside, if we hear anything, we'll look a bit more often," said Judy Scherbanco.
The police chief says the most recent burglary resembles some of the others. The burglar broke through a side window of the home and stole a laptop.
Anyone with information is asked to call Scranton police at 570-348-4134.
