Shorewood Police Investigating Two Attempted Home Burglaries From This Weekend

SHOREWOOD -- Imagine waking up - only to find that someone you don't know has gained entry to your home in the middle of the night.

That's the case in Shorewood, where police are investigating two attempted burglary cases that took place over the last three days. In both cases, the person who gained entry had done so by way of unlocked or easy-to-access windows. In both cases, the residents in each of the homes awoke to find the person inside, at which point the person was scared away. Nobody was reported hurt in either incident.

Police are asking residents in the area to be on the lookout for suspicious behavior and to report it to police.

Saturday, 1:30 a.m.
A resident on the 2600 block of E. Shorewood Blvd. was awakened by a noise and observed someone with a flashlight outside of the home. The suspect was scared off after the resident yelled. It was later discovered that a storm window was removed from a basement window and a dryer vent had also been removed.

Monday, 4:30 a.m.
A resident on the 1600 block of E. Menlo woke to find a suspect in the home with a flashlight. The burglar was then scared off. Entry was made through an unlocked window. The burglar was described as a younger black male with very short hair, 15 to 20 years old.

According to Shorewood police, windows are a major path of entry for burglars. They are especially popular during the summer months when people leave them open to let in breezes or keep them unlocked so they can quickly open them to fight the summer heat. Window air conditioning units are another appealing target for thieves. On their way into the home they can remove or even steal the air conditioner, and then slip in through the window. To prevent this, residents should consider securing their air conditioner with brackets, strike plates, and mounts.

If anyone has information on these incidents, or if anyone believes that they may have seen something suspicious over the past few days, please contact the Shorewood Police Department at 847-2610.