Between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., unknown subject(s) entered a home in the 25800 block of Commons Square, removing a laptop, jewelry and cash. This is the fourth breaking and entering relating to jewelry theft in Loudoun County, and was the third of its kind in October.
To respond to the recent trend of burglaries in Loudoun, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office Crime Prevention Unit is holding a home security class on Nov. 4, which will review basic home security measures such as using proper locks, lighting, windows, safes and alarm systems. The class will be held at 7 p.m. at the Little River Elementary School, located at 43464 Hyland Hills Street in South Riding.
The Sheriff's Office recommends residents to take the following tips to prevent their homes from being burgled:
• All exterior doors should be secured by a deadbolt lock. Install good locks on windows and a locking bar or track lock device on sliding glass doors.• Close and lock all garage doors.• Leave on interior lights or place them on automatic timers. Motion sensor lights should be installed on the exterior of the home near entrances.• Trim all shrubs and bushes around the home. They should not be allowed to grow higher than 24 inches or higher than the lower ledge of a first floor window. A well kept yard is a deterrent to burglars.
"Most burglaries are crimes of opportunity," according a press release issued by the Sheriff's Office. "This means the more difficult it is for someone to enter your home, the more likely they will move on to a home that is less secure."
Fairfax County has also had a large number of jewelry break-ins, with approximately four in the past week, said Kraig Troxell, public information officer for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. While they have several leads of suspicious people in neighborhoods, they do not have enough concrete information or descriptions to release, he said.
Since January 2009, the Northern Virginia area has experienced an influx in burglaries targeting gold jewelry, reported the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in a press release. Other items removed included electronics and personal documents. Nearly all of the burglaries occurred during the daytime hours while the victims were away.
Similar break-ins have occurred in Loudoun County on Oct. 15 between 8:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Stinger Drive, and on Oct. 6 between 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. in the 42480 block of Unicorn Drive, both located in South Riding. In both of these cases, large amounts of jewelry and a laptop were taken.
“The big thing we want to ask residents to do, if you’re home during the day, be extra vigilant,” Troxell said. “If you see something that’s out of the norm in your neighborhood – people know their neighborhoods better than everyone else – so cars or people that aren’t usually in neighborhood, particularly if people going door to door not affiliated with a service industry, to give us a call. Don’t be apprehensive about calling the sheriff’s office. Let us come down and check it out and see if they belong there.”
The sheriff’s office encourages residents to secure their homes, valuables and personal documents, and requests that residents in the area to report any suspicious persons, vehicles or activity by calling 703-777-1021.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office has been working in conjunction with the Fairfax County Police Department on this investigation.
Anyone with any information regarding these cases is asked to contact Investigator E. Wilk of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 703-777-0475. If the caller wishes to remain anonymous, he or she is asked to call Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919. If the information leads to an arrest and an indictment, the caller could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
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