Cell Phone Photo May Be Clue In String Of Stoughton Robberies

STOUGHTON (CBS) - Stoughton Police say a cell phone photo may be an important break in a string of burglaries. The woman who snapped the photo knew something wasn't right on her street and made sure she got some evidence.

The suspicious lady tried to make friendly small talk with the Westwood Road resident last Wednesday.

"I let her talk and from there I knew something was wrong," says the woman. "I feel like something is fishy."

The woman who took the picture doesn't want her face shown, because it all began when a couple came to her house while she was doing errands. They rang the bell and tugged on the garage door.

When her children called to tell her, she returned home to see a cranberry minivan parked across the street with a chatty lady standing near it.

When the resident approached the suspicious lady to see what she wanted, she stated that she was looking for a room to rent. Not buying that, she had the presence of mind to slyly grab her cell phone.

While the resident was talking to the suspicious woman, police believe her male companion was inside an elderly man's home nearby. That man's wife died six weeks ago, and the burglar got most of her jewelry.

The neighbor who snapped the photo never saw the man, but Stoughton Police believe the pair is to blame for a string of similar burglaries. They believe the lady was serving as a lookout while the man broke into homes.

Others on the street commended their neighbor's quick thinking. "It's nice to know that people are looking out for each other," said one neighbor.

Police say that when they catch the burglars, the alert neighbor can claim some of the credit.