Open houses in Denver become open invitation for burglars

DENVER - Homes for sale in Denver are becoming a target not just for house hunters but also for thieves, reports CBS Denver.

Police in the city say a handful of homes have been burglarized after open houses in the past few weeks.

Authorities believe the thieves attend an open house during the day, scout out a way to gain access to the home, then return at night and burglarize the empty residence, reports the station.

Last month, during Easter weekend, crooks backed their truck into a garage of a home in Denver's Southmoor neighborhood and stole thousands of dollars worth of appliances. The burglars even removed an inside door to make it easier to steal what they want.

"Dishwasher, range, microwave, everything they had just put in earlier that week," said Jim Reisenman, who lives next door to the property that was burglarized.

Reisenman says the thieves have shaken the neighborhood.

"It's a little nerve-wracking to know that people would just back up a truck to someone's house and clean it out like that," he told the station.

Kristi Rathburn, another neighbor, said it's simply a crime of opportunity.

"If somebody knows there's not a family or a person living in the home, it might be easier to get access," she told CBS Denver.

Police have not made any arrests in the Easter weekend burglary. Authorities are asking Denver-area residents to make sure all access points in their home are secure.