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South Shore Hit With String Of Break-Ins

HINGHAM (CBS) -- A South Shore mom confronted a man trying to bust down her door. It's Hingham's fifth home break-in in a week.

"Honestly I wasn't really worried about the Christmas items as much as where are my children and my animals. I wish I could have caught him!" says Pam Welch. She did yell a few "choice words," she says, before he disappeared in some woods behind her home.

WBZ-TV's Christina Hager reports.

Police say there's been a rash of similar cases in Hingham, Weymouth, Braintree, and Abington, and the thieves have gotten away with a lot of valuables.

"With the holidays, a lot of people have presents that they may buy around the house, and a lot of people have some cash around for holiday gifts, and that's usually a lure for a thief," says Hingham Police Lt. Mike Peraino.

Police say in most cases, the thieves case the houses beforehand to make sure no one's home. That's why they're asking residents to be extra suspicious of any strange cars or strange people in their neighborhoods.

"I think a lot of it is driven by the economy," says Peraino. "People are out of work, and people are drinking, drugs. People need money, so they're looking for a quick hit."

Police are looking for a white man in his 20's, about 5-foot-6, medium build, and a dark scruffy beard.

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