Saanich Police are wishing to remind homeowners to be cautious with remote garage door openers, even when at home.
On December 9, 2013, the occupants of a residence in the 4000 block of Blackbeery lane reported that a break and enter to their home had occurred during the late evening or early morning hours. Most disturbing, wad the fact that the break and enter occurred while the home owners were asleep in the upper portion of the residence.
Investigators have determined that this incident appears to have started as a theft from a vehicle. The vehicle had been locked and was parked in the driveway to the residence. An unknown thief broke into the vehicle and took a remote garage door opener which was used to access the garage of the home.
The garage door was opened only about a foot from the ground, just enough to allow someone to crawl underneath. Once inside the the garage, access was gained to the home through an unlocked access door to the ground level of the home.
The suspect entered the home and took a wallet, a purse, and some small electronic devices prior to fleeing the residence. Nobody inside the home heard anything.
“All remote garage door openers should be kept out of sight when a vehicle is parked” Sgt. Steve Eassie said. “If you are unable to park your vehicle in the garage and have remote opener, your best practice would be to lock the interior door leading from the garage to your home to prevent anyone from entering, should they gain access to your garage”.
Police investigators have canvassed the area for any clues. No other reports of suspicious activity were reported in this area.
File 2013-24915
Sgt. Steve Eassie #158