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Burglars targeting residents of South Asian descent, police warn
Residences are being targeted while homeowners are away on vacation, according to police in several Massachusetts communities.
In a string of residential break-ins across Massachusetts, criminals appear to be targeting victims of South Asian descent.
Most recently, Weston Police Chief Denis Linehan took the step of recording a video for social media in the hopes of preventing future break-ins. Police have linked together incidents in Weston and surrounding towns based on two factors: that the victims are normally of South Asian descent and that the criminals appear to be entering homes through second-floor windows.
In the video, Linehan said that Weston Police are working with colleagues in other jurisdictions and with federal partners to address the issue.
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Despite the patterns observed by police regarding these break-ins, Linehan warned all residents to be on high alert for any suspicious activity in their neighborhoods.
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“If there is anything you see that is out of the ordinary, somebody that is walking in the area that you don’t normally see, a vehicle that may be is idling for an extended period of time, or something that just doesn’t appear right, please call us,” Linehan said in the video. “You know your neighborhoods better than anyone.”
Linehan’s message appeared shortly after Weston Police reported a residential burglary that occurred on Kings Grant Road. Police believe the burglary happened in the middle of the day on Aug. 4, between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
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Weston Police asked anyone living on Route 117 that has security cameras facing the street to review their footage and contact authorities if anything suspicious is found. They are also looking to speak with people who were in the area at the time that may have seen something suspicious.
Other incidents
Other law enforcement officials have been trying to spread the word about these incidents. On Aug. 1, Sudbury Police reported two residential break-ins that officers responded to within a span of 48 hours. One was on Twin Pond Lane and the other was on Cudworth Lane.
Both Sudbury homes were unoccupied, and police were called when residents returned from vacation.
“There is no connection between the residents, other than they are both of Indian descent,” Sudbury Police said in a Facebook post.
The department said that residential break-ins are rare in Sudbury, but these incidents fit into a larger regional pattern of criminals breaking into the homes of people of South Asian descent through second-floor windows.
The thieves appear to be going after the homes of people on vacation, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan told The Boston Globe last week. Inside, they have been able to steal mostly unsecured gold jewelry and cash.
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Residents in Lincoln, Hopkinton, Weston, Chelmsford, Burlington, and Carlisle have all been victimized, Ryan told the Globe.
In 2021, police investigated a series of break-ins that appeared to be targeting the homes of Asian residents in Newton.
Prevention measures
Police are recommending that residents make their homes look like they are occupied even when they are not. Setting up interior lights on timers and motion-detecting lights can help with this. People should arrange for someone to pick up their mail while they are away, or suspend mail delivery during their vacations.
Sudbury Police warned residents not to post their vacation plans on social media.
All windows and doors, including those on upper stories, should be locked. Criminals know that these entry points are less likely to be connected to alarm systems.
Police also urged residents to double check that their alarm systems are operational and that cameras are placed in the correct spots around their property.
Linehan said that residents should contact police if they plan to be out of town, and that officers can do periodic patrols of houses they know to be vacant.
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