Burglar Strikes Homes In Wayne, N.J., Ignores Alarms
WAYNE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- The upscale township of Wayne, N.J., has been targeted lately by a wily burglar who has hit more than a dozen homes.
As CBS 2's John Slattery reported, the man ignores burglar alarms and just storms right in. Multiple homes were hit all around one neighborhood.
"I was in shock, to tell you the truth, when I walked in just to see that he had touched my clothing; that he had been in my lingerie chest," said one woman, who owns a home in Wayne along with her husband and did not want to be identified.
In the back of their house were the remnants of a sliding door, shattered over the weekend and setting off an alarm.
Police: Wayne Burglar Not Scared By Alarms
"We have an alarm system; very good alarm system," the woman said.
"He was in and out in no time," her husband added.
Police were not able to arrive in time to stop the burglar.
"By the time officers had arrived, they found that the door was smashed, and jewelry had been taken from the house," said Wayne police Chief John Reardon.
"He got a pair of fake diamond earrings," the woman said.
The homes are in the eastern part of Wayne, near Anthony Wayne Middle School. Neighbors said seven homes have been hit over several months.
The burglaries occur while no one is home, in the evenings. The burglar breaks rear windows and heads straight to the master bedroom for jewelry and cash.
The incidents have given some neighbors the jitters.
"It's a step away from the next thing, is violence," said neighbor Jane Barker. "What if he goes in the house when somebody's there?"
But some neighbor shows less concern.
"I have two big Burmese mountain dogs that live here," said Linda Marchesini.
But with alarm systems not being a deterrent, the the burglaries are hit and run, before police can arrive.
Police have no surveillance video, but they believe the burglar may arrive and depart on bicycle.
Wayne Det. Capt. James Clark told WCBS 880 reporter Sean Adams he's confident his investigators will crack this case.
"They have done a tremendous job over the past year and a half. We've had about five series of different burglars and each time they ended up coming up with a collar," Clark said.
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