Cops: Brooklyn Residents On Edge Due To Broad Daylight Burglaries

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Burglars are targeting a Brooklyn neighborhood, going after businesses and homes both day and night.

A brazen burglar was caught by surveillance cameras recently breaking into Picket Fence restaurant on Cortelyou Road in Ditmas Park before ripping off $2,500 from two cash registers around 7 a.m. Monday morning, police said.

"It's getting a little bit scary because if we're getting robbed like in daylight? That's not good," Ram Bisht, the manager of the Picket Fence, told CBS 2's Hazel Sanchez on Thursday night.

The break-in is the latest in a disturbing number of burglaries in the tree-lined Brooklyn neighborhood. Last week, also on Cortelyou Road, the Connecticut Muffin restaurant was burglarized.

In just three months, at least six homes on Westminster Road have been broken into in the middle of the afternoon, including Ahmer Qadeer's.

"It's certainly scary. And we want to know what's being done to find these guys because it keeps happening on our block," Qadeer said.

Qadeer's 69-year-old neighbor was at home when a man with a gun broke in, stealing her cash and jewelry, police said. Luckily she wasn't harmed. A private security team patrols the neighborhood daily, but residents said it doesn't seem to help.

"Seems like we have a professional who's really doing this thing," Ashime Bux said.

"It's a little unnerving, but I'm very careful. If I go upstairs, I make sure all the windows and doors are shut because someone might attempt to come in," Ariella Sadofsky added.

With clear surveillance video, police have a good shot at nabbing the young back-packed burglar, but investigators said the neighborhood's burglaries appear to be the work of more than one suspect. So far there have been no arrests.

Ditmas Park residents and business owners are asking for more police foot patrols.

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