Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, September 20, 1994 TAG: 9409220056
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: By DIANE STRUZZI STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Roanoke County Detective P.C. Nielsen said the intruder entered the apartments by cutting the screen door or by lifting the screen off its frame.
Police are not releasing the name of the apartment complexes or the exact times of each incident. Nielsen said the break-ins happened between 9:30 p.m. and midnight.
The most recent burglary took place the night of Sept. 5. A woman returning to her apartment saw her lights and television set on. When she walked into her residence, a man knocked her down trying to leave the way he had come in - through the open sliding glass door.
On Aug. 2, a husband and wife were awakened by an intruder in their bedroom, Nielsen said. The woman saw a man standing in front of her. She screamed, and the man ran. Police said a number of personal belongings were taken from the apartment.
On May 4, a woman awakened after someone broke in through her unlocked sliding door. The intruder left through the front door, taking cash and emptying the contents of the woman's purse in the vestibule of the apartment.
Police have compiled a composite of the intruder, who is described as a white male, 6 feet tall, weighing about 220 pounds, 35 to 45 years old. Police say he may have a physical handicap, since he seems to have trouble running. The man has been seen driving from the crimes in an older-model silver car.
The best recommendation to anyone is to keep doors and windows locked, even when at home, Nielsen said.
"In general, burglars are yellow and don't want to be seen," he said. "To get their job done, they take the path of least resistance."
Anyone with additional information can call the police at 561-8102.
Memo: Shorter version ran in Mtero edition.