BAYTOWN, Texas – A string of crimes in Baytown has residents on alert. Thieves are targeting homes, businesses and vehicles.
Derek Sanders said he got the surprise of his life when he came home Wednesday to his recently-purchased house and discovered it had been burglarized. He lived in the home for less than a week before he became a victim.
"They took a crowbar and broke the dead bolt," Sanders said. "I walked into my room and seen a few things were missing and I bolted out the door because I didn't know if they were still in here or not. I went outside and called the cops."
Sanders said the burglars took electronics, his gun and other items. He said he now doesn't feel safe.
"It's not the fact that they took stuff, it's the fact that they were in my house," he said.
Baytown police said there has been a rash of burglaries on the east side of the city. There have already been 22 cases reported this month. Seventeen of the cases involve homes or businesses and five involve vehicles, police said.
Anyone with information about any of the burglaries is asked to call Baytown Crime Stoppers at 281-427-8477.