Burglars target high-end south Charlotte homes to steal guns, jewelry, cash

CHARLOTTE — Thieves are targeting high-end homes in south Charlotte and heading straight for valuables in master bedrooms, police said.

Officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department have been holding meetings in neighborhoods warning residents about the trend.

It only takes the burglars 10 minutes to steal jewelry, guns, cash, and other expensive items that can’t be tracked, police said.

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Tim Rush oversees a homeowners’ association at one of the targeted neighborhoods in south Charlotte.

The HOA and CMPD have held meetings to talk about ways to protect residents and their homes.

“At the end of the day … every family needs to have a plan,” Rush said. “And if someone breaks in my house, my wife has specific duties. She knows where to go. Who to call, and what to tell them.”

Burglars target high-end south Charlotte homes to steal guns, jewelry

Police said homeowners should install one-inch deadbolts and keep exteriors well-lit. Residents should tell trusted neighbors when going out of town.

Police believe the burglars are from other countries, including Colombia and Chile, and there are similar crimes across the U.S.

Homeowner Steve DeRose takes home security seriously and added cameras as a deterrent.

“We built our home and put in … 14 to 15 cameras,” said DeRose, who lives in Foxcroft.

However, the cameras didn’t deter burglars from breaking into his home.

DeRose said his family was out to dinner when they got a call from their security company.

“I can hear my wife over my shoulder, looking on her phone at our cameras, and I can hear her say, ‘Oh my God. They’re in our house,’” he said. “And so we watched it unfold as they broke into the house.”

The thieves got away empty-handed.

“Make sure you use your alarm and that it’s being monitored,” DeRose said. “Make sure that you have a plan for safety in case you are in the house when somebody breaks in.”

CMPD also advised you should blur your home on Google Maps.

*Blurring Google Map images:

Enter address in Google Maps and go to street view
Find your house and click on the three dots in the upper-right corner of the address
Click “Report a problem” in the dropdown box.
Follow prompts to blur your house. Explain it’s for security purposes.
Requires an email and it takes one to two days to process.
It’s a permanent setting.

*CMPD

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