July 21, 2005

Several thefts have occurred recently in broad daylight in Junius Heights:

In the 700 block of Lowell on Saturday, while work was being done on the air conditioner, tools were left on the front porch. While the resident was standing in the driveway and neighbors were on their front porch, a black man in a light blue Ford Taurus with Oklahoma plates, stopped his car, got out, walked to the house, up to the front porch, and grabbed two very expensive tools. The neighbors saw him and told him to stop. He dropped one of the tools, ran to his car, and drove away. It was about 2:00 in the afternoon. There were plenty of people around and he was not apprehended.

In the 5600 Block of Reiger, a generator was stolen. A new house is under construction and two guys diverted the workers attention while others stole the generator. No further description of the suspects is available at the present time.

In response to the alert about the young man who was banging on somebody’s door in the early hours of the morning, claiming he was being chased by a gang, the police suspected that he was under the influence of drugs. One JH resident reports that a while back she was with a group that was being harassed by a group of people, and they went to a house and knocked on the door for safety. The ruse worked and they were left alone. Another resident e-mailed back to say that she had a similar situation and somebody wanted assistance at her door. She called 911 and the police dispatcher wanted to talk to the victim to find out what the problem was. The police never responded.

I guess the bottom line is, use your own judgment but do call 911 immediately.

The Mill Creek Crime Watch Association reports that a suspect has been caught and charged with stealing lawn equipment, particularly lawn mowers, in East Dallas. If you have been victimized, please go to the website http://www.OldEastDallasVIP.us for information on how to contact the police department and hopefully claim some of your stolen equipment.

July 19, 2005

Last Saturday night, early Sunday morning, a resident in the 5500 block of Victor (corner of Beacon/Victor) was awakened by a guy who was ringing the doorbell, knocking and scratching on the door, and jiggling the doorknob. The suspect was young, white, had neatly cut brown hair and was wearing an Oxford shirt. He wanted to be let in because “somebody was following him and was after him.”

The police were called immediately and the young man was taken into custody. The police thought that he was high on drugs.

If there is any doubt, reasonable or unreasonable, call 911. Let the police handle the situation. Somebody knocking on your door at that hour is probably high on drugs or wants to rob you.

July 9, 2005

Junius Heights Crime Alert
July 9, 2005
Thursday night, July 7 a car was vandalized in the 700 block of Parkmont. A window was broken, and the stereo system and a MP3 player were taken. The owner did practically everything correct: the car was parked in a driveway in front of another car, by a bedroom window and by security lights. The thieves ignored the parked cars on the street, easier targets, and instead went for the one in the driveway.

As a suggestion, please hide everything in your parked vehicles that might interest vandals. These crimes can be frustrating because an automobile stereo system can’t be “hidden,” and .the break-ins can be seen as random.

If you see somebody who appears to have more than a passing curiosity in a neighbor’s car, please call 911 to report a “suspicious” person.