The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

December 23, 2009

UPDATE: Burglary number climbs to 8

By Matt Snyder

MERCER — Two more homes were burglarized in Mercer this week on Home Street, potentially in the same neighborhood where six other thefts have taken place in the last month and a half.

Nothing was taken from the two homes, said Mercer police chief David Fockler, and there are no new leads in who is committing the crimes.

So far, homes on Pitt, Butler, and Market streets have been broken into for cash and prescription painkillers, Fockler said. Butler and Market streets run parallel and meet Home Street on the east side of town and Pitt at the center of town.

So far, leads are few and there haven’t been any witnesses in the burglaries. Fockler repeated earlier warnings to Mercer area residents to be on high alert and to keep an eye on each other’s homes for suspicious activity or cars.

Any suspicious activity should be reported immediately and not hours later, Fockler said. Call the 911 Center at their non-emergency number, 724-662-6110.

Residents planning on a holiday vacation should stop by the police station at 99 E. Venango St. and file a house check request, Fockler has also said.

There’s no way to be certain what time most of the burglaries happened because residents have reported very broad windows of time they might have occurred. However, it looks like they are happening in the late afternoon to evening, Fockler said.

In November, state police also warned about a rash of daytime burglaries in Findley, Jackson, Worth, and Wolf Creek townships. When asked, Fockler said it’s “possible” they’re linked. He has been in touch with both State and Jefferson Township police.

The township daytime burglars were targetting homes that looked empty. Those thieves would knock on the door and, if someone answered, they gave excuses and left quickly. If the home was empty, police said they forced their way in.

Vehicles with Ohio tags were possibily involved in those township break-ins, state police said.

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