Residents of a Cole Harbour, N.S., neighbourhood are on edge after a rash of break-ins over the weekend.
Police say the suspect broke into three homes in Colby Village overnight Friday and Saturday while the residents were asleep.
“These break-ins happened when people were home sleeping, so I think a lot of people would find that very disturbing,” says RCMP Cpl. Jennifer Clarke.
Police say the suspect stole keys, identification, shoes, and food from the homes.
No one was injured, but local residents admit they are rattled.
One man, who didn’t want to be identified, told CTV Atlantic both he and his neighbour are victims.
“I was told they did go into the fridge, had a quick second snack, so that is a bit odd,” says the man.
He says he checked his own property and found items in his backyard that belonged to his neighbour. That’s when he realized he had also been targeted.
“I was getting into my car and I noticed they did go into my car. Nothing was taken, but they were obviously rummaging, looking for quick things to take,” he says.
Resident Jennie Tousignant says she has lived in Colby Village for 45 years and has never had any problems, so she’s both surprised and concerned about the break-ins.
“It’s a good neighbourhood,” says Tousignant. “I think that’s really scary.”
However, some residents say the neighbourhood was targeted before, about seven years ago. Liam Beckett says a rash of thefts prompted many residents to install security cameras, but those incidents happened during the day, not at night while people slept.
“It definitely makes you feel a bit more vulnerable in your neighbourhood, makes you keep an eye out,” says Beckett.
Police are now trying to identify a suspect.
Police say the incident serves as a reminder to residents to lock their doors and report any suspicious activity immediately. Police say some of the victims didn’t report the break-ins until several hours after they discovered they had been robbed, which they say makes it more difficult for investigators to identify a suspect.
Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to contact Halifax District RCMP or Crime Stoppers.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Marie Adsett
