Young Girl Who Saw Brazen Burglar In Home 'Thought It Was A Ghost'
BOUDLER, Colo. (CBS4) - Police in Boulder are searching for a bold thief who they say has no problem burglarizing homes while the residents are inside, and most don't even realize he's there.
Investigators think the man may have pulled off as many as 20 burglaries in the past few months. One just happened early Wednesday morning.
Most of the homes being targeted are west of Broadway and the burglar appears to be a good climber.
"It's terrifying how bold this man has been," burglary victim Barbara Paradiso said.
Two Fridays ago the brazen Boulder burglar climbed up Paradiso's balcony and barged in through a door while the family was watching TV. Her 12-year-old daughter Isabella caught a glimpse of the suspect in her mother's bedroom.
"It makes me feel really uneasy about going in there now," Isabella said.
Paradiso says the burglar stole $10,000 to $15,000 worth of her jewelry.
"I have a stand up jewelry box and he had taken that and dragged it out onto the deck and gone through it … gone through all of our drawers," Paradiso said.
Paradiso is not alone. Boulder police say that in the past three months approximately 20 homes have been invaded, often through an open window, cutting the screen, or using a ladder left outside.
"It's extremely uncomfortable knowing he's still at large, still doing the same thing to other families," Paradiso said.
Different victims apparently gave different suspect descriptions to the police -- a white man in his early 20s, 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-10, 160 to 180 pounds with dark hair, sometimes shaved, sometimes not.
The Paradiso family was downstairs at the time when Isabella says the man came in when she was upstairs.
"I thought it was like a ghost or something at first, but then I realized that it could have been an actual man in our house," Isabella said. "I just ran down the stairs as fast as you can."
The burglar was gone by the time Paradiso ran upstairs.
"We look behind every door, our children are afraid to sleep alone at night," Paradiso said.
Homeowners are responding to the burglaries by locking windows and adding locks on fences and security lights.
Additional Information From The Boulder Police Department
Police are asking anyone who may have information on these cases to please contact Detective Kara Wills at 303-441-3482. Those who have information but wish to remain anonymous may contact the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at www.crimeshurt.com. Those submitting tips through Crime Stoppers that lead to the arrest and filing of charges on a suspect(s) may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.
