South Jersey Cops Hoping To Nab 'Pillowcase Burglars' Who Target Homes While Owners Are Out
By Elizabeth Hur
CINNAMINSON, N.J. (CBS) -- 3 is On Your Side with a warning about bandits police have dubbed the "Pillowcase Burglars".
"They need something to carry their proceeds out in. First thing they do, they'll pull the covers back, grab a pillow case, load up with what they want and run out the door," Det. Sgt. Bill Covert explained.
Cinnaminson, Burlington County, NJ is the latest of at least seven towns being terrorized by the bandits.
"We surmise they're driving around a neighborhood, seeing a car pull out of a driveway or seeing an empty driveway and immediately they go to the back of the house. Once inside, they're bypassing cameras, cell phones, anything with an identifiable serial number," Covert said.
Eyewitness News spoke with the victim from the most recent burglary. It happened this past Sunday. Her door was smashed and her jewelry taken while she was at church.
"God will punish them because we don't deserve this after we worked so hard. We don't have any privacy anymore," the victim said.
For her protection, we are not identifying her or her son who rushed over just as soon as he got the frantic call.
"Ugh, just heart broken, I'm heart broken. I hope they get caught because karma will get them," the victim's son said.
Turns out, the victim lost her husband not long ago and now she's dealing with the loss of the valuable jewelry that belonged to her and her late husband.
"I saw glasses all over the floor and I was shaking like a leaf. Right away I called my children"
We're told the bandit broke in through the back sliding glass door and made a bee-line for the master bedroom. Not only was her jewelry missing but also a pillowcase.
Thus, the nickname: the "Pillowcase Burglar".
Cinnamonson Police say homes in multiple communities including Cherry Hill, Voorhees, Moorestown, Mt. Laurel, Marlton and Evesham were hit. The series of burglaries involved at least 80 homes in the last 3 months.
"And that's just the communities we know of. There could be similar burglaries that haven't been reported to us but are happening in other towns that we're not aware of," Covert said.
As for the latest victim to this crime, she continues to hope and pray whoever knows anything will do the right thing.
"Never happened to me, this is the first time in my life and I'll never forget this for as long as I live."
In the meantime, police say the best defense to these burglaries is a good neighbor who looks out for each other.
Covert added, "In My career, I heard a million times 'O we saw something we thought it was suspicious but we didn't want to bother you,' well that's what we get paid to do, we want to be bothered."
