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ST. PETERSBURG - A cat burglar - so called because he or she is hitting homeowners when they are at home and asleep - has broken into homes in a square mile area of Madeira Beach eight times in the past three weeks.
Residents have lost wallets, purses, cell phones, candles, even two cars. The most recent burglary occurred before 3 a.m. at 14791 Bayshore Drive in Madeira Beach. The resident heard a noise and noticed a window screen had been lifted, said Mac McMullen, a spokesman for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Police are investigating what, if anything, was taken.
"We feel that all the burglaries are related based on the time, method of entry and the items being taken," McMullen said.
One burglary occurred on Redington Drive in Redington Beach. Four took place Feb. 29 and March 1 on Harbor Drive, a finger of land that protrudes into Boca Ciega Bay in Madeira Beach. Often the burglars entered through open doors or windows.
Joanne Northcraft's family has lived in the neighborhood since 1966. She had never worried before. The burglar hit her home on Harbor Drive on March 1. The burglar entered through a sliding glass door and took her purse from a card table in the living room - just feet from her bedroom. Northcraft, 64, lost two new pairs of glasses, credit cards, her driver's license and less than $20.
"For the first week-and-a-half, I had terrible nightmares at night," said Northcraft, a retired schoolteacher. "You try to rationalize, "They're not coming back and the doors are locked,' but then there was another burglary this past week up the street. ... It's kind of unsettling to think someone was in your home."
Police are asking residents to lock their windows and doors and to report any suspicious activity by calling the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office at 582-6200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-8477.