Neighbors Band Together As Burglars Make Off With Precious Belongings
THORNTON, Colo. (CBS4) - A group of neighbors in Thornton are banding together to identify a man they believe has burglarized several homes.
"We had a box that just said 'Wesley's belongings,' and that box was there and it's not there now. And I can't get that back," Kerrie Vinnai said
She and her husband lost their son, Wesley, at child birth. Handmade blankets and clothes that were supposed to be his were in that box.
"That just to me, hurts, because I feel like I lost him all over again," she said.
Her surveillance cameras caught a man hopping the fence onto their property Friday night.
He rummages around for about 15 minutes before leaving with a bag full of items and then rides away on his bike.
"Just the fact he has the audacity to go to people's homes and take stuff they work hard for," Vinnai said.
She posted the video online hoping someone would know who he is.
"All of a sudden just everybody started pouring in, 'This happened to me. This happened to me. Here is the video,'" she said.
One of those victims was a man who lives just a couple of blocks away on the same street.
He asked not to be identified, but shared his video from a week earlier.
"At 5:09 a.m. he rides up nonchalantly like he is coming home," he said
The man on his bicycle is wearing almost identical clothing to the man seen in Vinnai's video. He takes his time looking for valuables before leaving with a car battery. It was the second time he was visited their home.
"My family, my daughter. She's scared," he said holding back tears.
The two are now working together to make more people aware and pledge to look out for each other.
"We have become a tight knit community now because of this," Vinnai said.
Karen Morfitt joined the CBS4 team as a reporter in 2013. She covers a variety of stories in and around the Denver metro area. Connect with her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter @karenmorfitt or email her tips.