Break-ins targeting South Asian families continue in Mass., police say

Police are continuing to raise the alarm over break-ins that appear to be targeting residents of South Asian descent. 

The Hudson Police Department said in a Facebook post Sunday officers responded to two such incidents over the weekend. Both homes were unoccupied, and there does not appear to be any connection between the victims other than the fact that they are both of Indian descent.

“Residential break-ins are infrequent for Hudson, but regionally there is an increase exhibiting similar patterns,” Hudson police said. 

Recently, Weston Police Chief Denis Linehan posted a video online with similar warnings. Two factors appear to be linking the break-ins in Weston, Hudson, and elsewhere: victims of South Asian descent and criminals finding access through second-floor windows. 

Before posting the video, Weston police said that a break-in occurred on Kings Grant Road in the middle of the day on Aug. 4, between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Hudson police did not specify where and when the break-ins occurred there. 

On Aug. 1, Sudbury police said they responded to break-ins on Twin Pond Lane and Cudworth Lane. Those homes were unoccupied, and police were alerted when the victims returned from vacations. 

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan told The Boston Globe earlier this month that the criminals appear to be targeting people of South Asian descent while they are on vacation. She said “lots of unsecured gold jewelry and cash” had been stolen. 

At least 14 such incidents occurred in Middlesex County from January through early August, she said. Homes in Lincoln, Hopkinton, Chelmsford, Burlington, and Carlisle were all targeted. 

A series of break-ins that appeared to be targeting Asian residents was investigated by Newton police in 2021. In those cases, burglars also broke into unoccupied homes during the daytime to steal cash and jewelry. 

Police are telling residents who are going out of town to make sure their homes look occupied. Lights on timers are an easy way to go about this. 

Alarm systems should be double checked, and all windows and doors, even on higher floors, should be fully secured. 

Residents should arrange for someone to pick up their mail when out of town and should resist posting about their travel plans on social media beforehand. 

Weston police said residents could contact their department before traveling so that officers can plan to do periodic patrols around the vacant homes. 

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