Altamonte Springs, FL – It was just supposed to be quick stop, but she almost didn’t survive it.  When a woman in Seminole County ran into her home to pick up an item she had forgotten earlier in the day, she got the surprise of her life.  She unwittingly walked in on two armed burglars ransacking her home.

 

“I got about right here when the guy hit me in the head with a pistol, which knocked me to the floor,” the anonymous victim told the authorities.

 

A masked man beat her with his gun and threatened to rape her after she walked in on the violent pair of thieves in the middle of the afternoon.

 

"He said, 'If you don't quit screaming, I'm going to shoot you right now,'" she said.

 

“What we're seeing more and more is burglars arming themselves with deadly weapons,” said Lt. Dennis Lemma, Seminole County Sheriff's Office. 

 

In 2005, US law enforcement agencies reported an estimated 2,154,126 burglary offenses.  Of all the burglaries in 2005, nearly 65 percent occurred in residential structures.

 

What are these burglars looking for?  Clearly, if they were after money they would target stores or banks. 

 

According to the Burglary Prevention Council, these are the top ten items home burglars steal most:

  • Televisions
  • Computers (especially laptops) and printers
  • DVD players and DVDs
  • Stereo equipment
  • Weapons
  • Jewelry and watches
  • Tools
  • Cameras
  • Credit cards
  • Sports equipment (such as golf clubs)

Why would thieves seek out these specific items?

 

A father and son team recently answered this question after being apprehended for a string of burglaries spanning five Michigan counties.  Police believe the pair broke into hundreds of homes looking for guns, jewelry, and other items from the list. 

 

As the pair of burglars proved, these specific things are targeted because they are easy to resell or pawn for money or drugs.  Investigators believe the son, Aaron Strachan, 26, was stealing to support a drug habit.

 

"Guns, jewelry... it's all gone.  It's all in his body," said Genesee County Sheriff Robert J. Pickell.

 

Police believe that guns taken during the spree were either sold or traded in Detroit, mostly to drug dealers.

 

“The jewelry was melted down and taken to pawn shops,” said Pickell.

 

Any home could be brimming with the top ten items burglars steal most, so all houses are potential targets for thieves.  It’s up to homeowners to take the precautions necessary to prevent a burglary.  And since the average dollar loss per burglary in 2005 was nearly $2000, home security should be at the top of every homeowner’s to-do lists.

Install a home security alarm system and learn to use and maintain it properly. 

Keep valuable items and important documents in a safe.  Home security experts recommend getting a wall safe or any safe that can be bolted to the floor.  Even if intruders manage to get inside your home, they won’t be able to make off with your most prized possessions.