Police: Burglaries On The Rise Around Town

NEWTOWN SQUARE–A number of burglaries or attempted burglaries have been reported around the Marple Newtown area, according to the .

Newtown police Lt. Chris Lunn issued out a statement on Friday in regards to the number of recent burglary incidents reported.

On Thursday, Feb. 23, Newtown police investigated one attempted burglary and two burglaries, in which valuable electronic items were stolen from residents' homes, that occurred during the day on Feb. 22 and Feb. 23. 

According to the release, the attempted burglary was discovered when the homeowner discovered what appeared to be tire tracks from the driveway into the rear yard. 

"Upon police arrival it appeared the actor(s) pulled a vehicle behind the house to a set of rear doors. For some reason the burglary was not completed and it may be due to a dog in the house, or neighbor’s dog that backs to the residence," stated Lunn in the release.

On Feb. 23, the police investigated two burglaries on S. Newtown Street Road near the area of Rt. 252 and Gradyville Road. According to Lunn, in these burglaries, the residences were entered through an unlocked window or the actor(s) broke a small window out and unlocked a rear door. 

"So far it appears as if the actor(s) only took smaller electronics (laptops and Kindles). The actor did pass over larger valuable items," stated Lunn in the release.

According to the release:

A neighbor in the area had a black male come to her door during the time period of the burglaries. The male apparently knocked on her front door several times. She didn’t answer the door and the male eventually went to the rear of the house pulling on the rear door and was looking inside the rear windows. Upon the homeowner yelling at the male, he left the area on foot carrying a black bag with a shoulder strap. He was believed to have boarded a Septa bus on Media Line Road.

In addition, Lunn stated that a neighbor of the attempted burglary gave a similar description of the same male with the exception that the male was with another male soliciting for window repairs in the area. 

In an incident on Tuesday at approximately 3 p.m., according to the release, two black males with close cropped beards were knocking on a resident's door. Acording to the release, when the homeowner answered the door the males advised her that they were selling services to replace windows.

"The males did appear to be clean but had no marketing items or clipboards," stated Lunn in the release. "They were observed driving in the area in an older gray four-door American model vehicle."

have also investigated several burglaries last week in the same general area, according to Lunn. Recently, .

Police urge residents to use caution of any suspicious soliciting activities, especially when someone knocks on your back door or tries to open the door. For any suspicious persons or incidents, residents should call 911 immediately.