Detective warns public of hot prowl burglaries

By Maureen Robertson

A string of hot prowl burglaries are occurring in San Diego Country Estates, and Detective Tom Seiver with the sheriff’s Ramona station advises residents to lock their doors.

A hot prowl burglary is one in which the burglar enters a home when its occupants are inside, Seiver said.

In the Country Estates incidents, the suspect entered homes via an unlocked sliding glass door or front door while residents slept. The first was in December, and the last was May 27, said Seiver. Most have occurred from midnight to 4 or 5 a.m. in the area of Rainbird Road, Four Corners, and Barona Mesa Road.

“It seems very impulsive, but it’s starting to escalate,” said Seiver.

In most cases, the burglar took money, small electronics, jewelry, or tobacco products such as cigarettes and a can of chew, said Seiver. But in one incident, the person or persons entered a master bedroom while a man and woman slept and took a wallet from a pants pocket. In another, a woman woke and saw a person standing in the kitchen, said Seiver. She yelled for her husband, and the suspect fled.

The detective believes more hot prowl burglaries have occurred than are reported, since some items taken are small, and victims “may be disregarding it or explaining it away.”

Seiver encourages residents to report any suspicious activity. He learned about a possible peeping Tom after the fact, because the victims didn’t report the incident when it occurred.

“If you see any suspicious activity, suspicious people on the trails in the middle of the night, report it,” said Seiver. “Report suspicious people loitering in the area or trespassing on property to the Sheriff’s Department.”

Reports may be made to the sheriff’s Ramona office at 760-789-9157 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

If an incident is occurring, call 911, said Seiver.