9 ‘dinnertime’ burglaries reported in Arapahoe County

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — For months, a group has been targeting luxury homes in Arapahoe County and has stolen about $1 million worth of goods from nine homes, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said on Thursday.

According to the agency, between Feb. 2 and Oct. 18, burglars have targeted homes in the county during dinnertime hours, usually one to two hours after sunset. The burglaries typically happened in homes that back up to open space, greenbelts, canals, trails, golf courses or have heavy tree cover along their property lines.

The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, Cherry Hills Village Police Department, Columbine Valley Police Department and the Littleton Police Department are working together to investigate the nine separate burglaries. They’ve been reported in the following areas

• Cherry Hills Village – four
• Columbine Valley – one
• Littleton – two
• Unincorporated Arapahoe County – two

The majority of them occurred between 5 and 8 p.m. on Fridays, when the homeowners were not home. According to the sheriff’s office, two to four suspects typically work together wearing masks, hoodies, gloves, and sometimes carrying a backpack. They will smash an exterior glass door, and then rummage through closets, dressers and bathrooms. They steal valuable items such as jewelry, designer purses, cash and safes.

During one incident in Cherry Hills Village, the homeowner interrupted the burglary while it was in progress.

Investigators have been unable to identify any vehicle involved because it’s believed the suspects are dropped and then picked up in areas that are far away from the homes.

Residents are asked to call 911 to report an in-process crime or use the non-emergency number 303-795-4711 to report suspicious activity.

• When leaving your home, lock all your doors, close your windows and set your alarms
• Leave lights on or use automatic timers to make your home look occupied and difficult to break in
• Install motion sensor lights outdoors to illuminate dark areas
• Consider purchasing exterior and interior cameras. Some cameras allow you to notify police of crimes in progress
• Consider installing shatter-proof window-tinting to prevent criminals from breaking the glass. Be suspicious of people loitering around your house. If something looks suspicious, trust your instincts and call police
• Join a neighborhood watch group and look out for your fellow neighbors.