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Brazen Nighttime Break-Ins In Medway Cause Concern

MEDWAY (CBS) -- Medway police are warning town residents to keep doors locked, lights on and immediately report anything suspicious after 10 house breaks over the past six weeks.

That's as many as they have in an average year.Officers were back in the Temple Street neighborhood today where three homes were broken into last night alone.

They say in one of them, the burglar broke in through a rear door as an 11-year-old boy was home alone, playing in the basement.  He called his mother, who called a neighbor- who ran into the burglar coming out the house.  The neighbor in turn called 9-1-1.

"Somebody's breaking into my neighbor's house," she told the operator.

       911: Did you see the person?
       Caller: Yeah I did for a minute but he's gone...He ran out the back door.

       911: Did you see what he looks like?
       Caller:  I don't know.  Can you just hurry?  We need to find the little boy.

Less than 60 seconds later, the mother came home.  The boy was found unharmed.  He had stayed in the basement while the burglar was upstairs.

WBZ-TV's Ron Sanders reports.

Sgt. Detective William Kingsbury says the burglar dropped some of the things he stole in the yard.  He took cash, jewelry and prescription drugs which fits the pattern of house breaks in Medway over the past 6 weeks.

"In the 10 we had, at least seven of them and several attempts have occurred after dark which is very unusual," said Kingsbury.

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WBZ News Radio's Mark Katic reports on the break-ins.

Luanne Askew-Gray recalled seeing a suspicious man walk past her house several nights before Thanksgiving.  She reported that to police today after hearing about the rash of break-ins.

"It was a male, about my height and he had a sweatshirt, hooded sweatshirt and he was alone.  He didn't have reflector.  It was cold... It didn't make sense," she said.

"It's been a concern to us that, as these breaks continue, it would be only be a matter of time before there's some sort of confrontation between the person breaking into the house and the homeowner," said Medway Police Chief Allen Tingley.

One of the homeowners who preferred not to go on camera says because she and her neighbors are very concerned about the break-ins happening during the early evening hours when many people are home, she's going to keep her doors locked and her lights on.

The man seen fleeing one of the break-ins last night is described as a clean-cut, white man who was wearing a dark jacket and light pants.  Medway Police say they're looking at several possible suspects but have nothing concrete yet.

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