BAKERSFIELD, CA - The Sheriff's Department has a good clue, as it tries to catch three burglars who were caught on camera leaving a northeast Bakersfield home two weeks ago.
Deputies say the same trio was caught on camera, roaming the property before entering the home.
A new Neighborhood Watch program has posted the videos on Facebook. Deputies hope someone who sees them will recognize the burglars. One of the videos shows three thieves running out of a home and jumping a fence.
"The suspects had made entry into the home through an open window and were in the process of burglarizing the home when the neighbor had knocked on the front door and confronted the suspects," said Ray Pruitt, Kern County Sheriff's Department.
In another video, three people enter the backyard around 9:30 a.m. March 1st, wearing sweatshirts and gloves. Two walk up to the back door, while one casually knocks and waits for someone to open it.
"This homeowner had a fairly sophisticated video surveillance system and security system," said Pruitt. "It looks like there's a good chance we may be able to identify some of these suspects."
Homeowners in the area have come together and formed a Facebook page where they posted the video.
'We're finding out that a lot of people in this general area have been broken into and there's also neighbors that weren't even aware that break-ins were occurring," said Margaret Roux, concerned neighbor.
Roux says with the recent break-ins, she feels her neighborhood is unsafe.
"You don't know what to expect. Has your front door been kicked in? Have one of your windows been breached? Is your back door kicked in and what have they taken?," Roux continued.
The Sheriff's Department says residential burglaries in the county have significantly increased within the last year.
But, Bakersfield Police Sergeant Joe Grubbs says since late last year, residential burglaries in the city are down.
"We've been making some quality arrests. We'll arrest a group for one burglary and that leads to clearing six or eight other cases," Grubbs said.
Both law enforcement agencies say when neighbors are alert and watch out for one another, they help reduce residential burglaries.
Pruitt said the department has seen the videos and has assigned a technical investigator for further review. More details will be released to the public after the review is complete.
If you know anything about this burglary, call the Sheriff's Department at 861-3110.
