WLS-TV (Chicago, Illinois) – “Burbank woman wakes to intruder tugging at her clothes” – April 27^th, 2014:

April 27, 2014 (BURBANK, Ill.) (WLS) -- Police in southwest suburban Burbank are looking for a man who broke into a woman's home. She woke up when she felt the intruder tugging on her clothes.

The woman screamed early Saturday morning and got the attention of others living with her. The suspect ran out of the home and drove off in a van.

No one was hurt.

Police believe the suspect got in through an unlocked door.

The Bainbridge Island (Washington) Review – “Serial burglar still prowling on island UPDATE” – April 25^th, 2014:

Bainbridge Island police released two sketches of suspects who may have been involved in a string of residential burglaries on the island since early March.

Police Chief Matthew Hamner said Wednesday the illustrations were prepared by a police sketch artist with another agency. The sketches were prepared on April 15 and April 17, after more burglaries were reported on the island, and witnesses to earlier burglaries provided detailed descriptions to police.

In the most recent incident, the man entered a Bainbridge home while one of the residents was still home.

A 22-year-old woman was at home while her parents were away, and heard someone entering the house the afternoon of Wednesday, April 16.

She retreated to a bathroom, locked the door, and called 911.

Roughly two dozen burglaries have been reported on Bainbridge Island since March.

In six of the burglaries, the intruder entered through an unlocked door. The burglar forced his way into homes in some of the other cases.

The majority of the incidents occurred during the week and daytime hours while residents are at work.

The intruder has made off with easy-to-carry items such as jewelry and laptop computers, as well as three firearms.

The theft of the guns adds another dimension to the crimes.

fox5sandiego.com (California) – “Handcuffed inmate escapes from jail” – April 21^st, 2014:

SAN DIEGO – A 21 year old robbery suspect is on the loose after he escaped from the San Diego Central Jail downtown Monday afternoon.

Angelo Paschall was brought to the central jail by two La Mesa police officers Monday and was in the process of being booked when he escaped through an unlocked door. San Diego police, La Mesa police and Sheriff’s deputies used dogs to search for the inmate in the downtown area, specifically targeting a parking structure on 6th and L street, but they could not find him.

Morning Sentinel (Waterville, Maine) – “Charges in Cambridge home invasion upgraded to felony robbery” – April 20^th, 2014:

Two men with bandanas covering their faces allegedly invaded Ripley Road home, assaulted woman and made off with drugs in getaway car driven by woman, according to police.

Charges against two local men and a woman from Howland have been upgraded to felony robbery following a masked home invasion March 23 in Cambridge.

 

The woman, Melinda Riggs, 25, the alleged driver of the getaway car that night, was arrested Friday by Somerset County sheriff’s deputies on charges of robbery, burglary and theft. Riggs first was arrested after the home invasion on a probation hold. She is on probation for possession of scheduled drugs.

Joshua Chase, 28, of Detroit, and Ryan Spaulding, 24, of Waterville, originally were charged with probation violations and with assault following the home invasion. They now are charged with robbery, burglary, assault and theft.

Police said two men, believed to be Chase and Spaulding, covered their faces with bandannas and made their way into a home on Ripley Road through an unlocked door about 1:20 a.m. Once inside the men allegedly assaulted the 34-year-old woman who lives there when she confronted them, and they made off with prescription medication, according to Dale Lancaster, chief deputy for the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department.

The woman reportedly was assaulted a second time outside the home as the men attempted to leave in the getaway car, a 2000 Nissan Maxima, allegedly driven by Riggs, Lancaster said.

The getaway car was stopped 10 minutes later on Corinna Road in Dexter by the Dexter Police Department during a routine drunken driving roadblock.

 

San Bernardino (California) Sun – “Woman tased during home-invasion robbery in San Bernardino” – April 19^th, 2014:

Four males entered an unlocked home in the middle of the night, robbing the residents at gunpoint, according to authorities.

The home invasion occurred sometime between 2and 3 a.m. Friday in the 5900 block of Arden Avenue when four men wearing masks entered a home through an unlocked door, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Two residents, a man and a woman, were bound, and the woman was tased while the robbers took numerous items from the home before fleeing in an unknown vehicle, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

losangeles.cbslocal.com – “Thieves Allegedly Make Off With 7,000 Comic Books That Took Man 3 Decades To Collect” – April 18^th, 2014:

An Eagle Rock man is searching for the thieves who allegedly made off with his lifelong collection of comic books.

Adam Rose told CBS2’s Greg Mills that 14 boxes of comic books were taken from his garage sometime last week.

As he explained, the suspected thieves allegedly removed his garage door opener from his unlocked vehicle, and made their way into his garage.

In all, 7,000 comic books were taken – a collection that took Rose three decades to build.

Morning Sentinel (Skowhegan, Maine) – “’Creepy’ burglar charged again in Skowhegan” – April 10^th, 2014:

Police said Douglas A. DeWalt allegedly entered a woman’s home through an unlocked door and stood over her bed, just like he did in previous cases.

SKOWHEGAN — A man once described by a district attorney as “creepy” for twice breaking into homes and standing over women he thought were sleeping was arrested Wednesday in Skowhegan for allegedly doing the same thing.

Douglas A. DeWalt, 46, of Skowhegan, was charged with aggravated criminal trespass for allegedly entering a woman’s home near Jewett and Chandler streets through an unlocked door about 3:20 a.m. and standing over her bed, Police Chief Ted Blais said Thursday. DeWalt, who made his initial court appearance on the charge Wednesday, had only been out of prison five months for convictions on identical charges.

Blais said the 48-year-old woman was awakened by a creak of the door in the darkness of her home early Wednesday morning. She had left the doors unlocked that night, he said.

Blais said the newest charge against DeWalt shows a pattern of behavior that is disturbing, and said it highlights of the importance of homeowners locking their doors at night.

Contra Costa (California) Times – “Concord grandfather found guilty in grandson’s mauling by pit bulls” – April 11^th, 2014:

A judge Friday afternoon found a Concord grandfather guilty of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment in the fatal 2010 mauling of his toddler grandson by three pit bulls -- dogs a prosecutor said their owner knew to be vicious.

In a rare legal procedure, Contra Costa Superior Court Judge John Kennedy decided 55-year-old Steven Hayashi's verdict, after Hayashi waived his right to a jury trial. Hayashi faces up to 10 years in prison.

On July 22, 2010, Hayashi's 2-year-old step-grandson, Jacob Bisbee, walked into an unlocked garage after leaving him unsupervised with his 4-year-old brother and sleeping wife. The three pit bulls mauled the boy, who bled to death.

At issue was whether Hayashi should have foreseen the attack, with prosecutors saying Hayashi knew the dogs had killed two family pets and showed aggression toward Jacob. Hayashi's defense attorney argued that his client believed Jacob and his brother were left with an awake adult -- Hayashi's wife -- and that the dogs had never attacked a person before, only animals.

In explaining his decision, Kennedy said Hayashi did not check to see whether Jacob's father had left for work or whether the toddler's door was open, didn't confirm whether the children or his wife were awake and didn't lock the garage door before he left to play tennis.

Hayashi was told numerous times by his wife and other relatives to get rid of the dogs because they feared how they would react to the children, Kennedy said.

"But as he told his wife, the dogs were his, and the children were his step-grandchildren, and they should leave before the dogs," prosecutor Mary Knox told the judge in her opening statement.

On the day of the mauling, Hayashi's wife made the grisly discovery about 8:45 a.m. and called 9-1-1. The dispatcher could hear the dogs barking furiously in the background, Kennedy said.

"The likelihood one of the toddlers would get hurt by the dogs was high," Kennedy said.

Knox argued that Hayashi had plenty of advance warning about the danger he was placing the young boys in and said after court that Jacob's death was "a completely avoidable tragedy."

Contra Costa (California) Times – “Berkeley man faces six felony counts in rape trial” – April 8^th, 2014:

MARTINEZ – A prosecutor described the actions of a Berkeley man as “the worst mightmare” and during closing arguments of a rape trial Monday asked a jury to return guilty verdicts on six felony counts.

Depity District Attorney Ryan Wagner argued that Antonio Andre Mouton, 26, was responsible for two of the three sexual assaults that occurred at Walnut Creek’s Park Regency Apartments over a six-week period in the summer of 2010 – a spree that left residents of the complex on edge.

Mouton is charged with three counts of rape by force, two counts of burglary and one with assault with intent to commit rape.

On June 30, 2010, Wagner said, Mouton gained entry into the apartment of one woman after knocking on her door around 1 a.m. and asking for a glass of water. He placed his hand over her mouth, but fled when she fought back.

On July 6, Wagner said, Mouton entered the apartment of a second woman through an unlocked door shortly after her husband left for work. Wagner told the jury that Mouton awoke the sleeping woman and raped her.

“It’s the worst nightmare,” Wagner said. “Asleep in your own apartment, no worries, letting your guard down in a place where you feel safe. Then he burglarizes her apartment and rapes her in the bed she shares with her new husband.”

The Baltimore (Maryland) Sun – Crime Log – April 8^th, 2014:

Covered Wagon Drive, 9700 block, between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. April 2. Entry gained to residence via unlocked window. Electronics stolen.

Clarksville Pike, 13900 block, between 12 p.m. and 3:55 p.m. April 1. Entry gained to residence via unlocked door. Electronics, several guns stolen.

Fruitgift Place, 6500 block, between 12 p.m. and 12:45 p.m. March 31. Entry gained to residence via unlocked door. Game system and shoes taken.

millbrae.patch.com – “Naked Man on Rampage Enters 2 Palo Alto Homes, Punches Teen, Tackles Woman Walking Dog” – April 6^th, 2014:

Police arrested a naked 18-year-old man suspected of being under the influence of narcotics after he went on a violent crime spree Friday night, fighting two residents in their homes and beating a woman who was walking her dog before finally being taken into custody after struggling with officers, police said.

At 8:51 p.m. Friday, the Palo Alto Police Department’s 24-hour dispatch center received a 911 call from a resident in the 1100 block of Colorado Avenue reporting an in-progress battery.
 
The resident said that a naked man had entered the home through an unlocked front door, charged a teenage juvenile and punched him at least once, and then fled on foot, police said.

As officers responded, officers said a second 911 call came in from a resident on the 1000 block of Colorado Avenue at about 8:52 p.m.

That resident, a man in his 40s, reported that a naked male had just entered his home through an open front door and attempted to physically attack him. The resident kicked the suspect, who fled on foot, police said.

Officers found the naked suspect at 8:57 p.m. in the 2900 block of Otterson Court.

Police said he had a cut on his face and numerous abrasions on his body, and charged at officers when they spotted him.
 
After a brief physical struggle, officers apprehended the suspect, who spat blood on an officer after he was handcuffed, police said.

The suspect exhibited a number of symptoms of being under the influence of narcotics, according to investigators.

Dispatchers answered a third 911 call at 8:57 p.m. from a woman who said she was walking her dog in the 1000 block of Colorado Avenue when she was tackled from behind by a naked man, who punched and kicked her numerous times while she lay on the ground.

Investigators determined that the suspect left the first home along 1100 Colorado and attacked the female dog walker, a woman in her 50s, who screamed for help.

Police booked 18-year-old Daiki Glenn Minaki of Palo Alto into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for suspicion of one count of felony battery for his actions against the woman walking her dog, and six misdemeanor charges (resisting arrest, battery on an officer, under the influence of narcotics, battery, and two counts of trespassing). 

Chico (California) Enterprise-Record – Police Reports – April 2^nd, 2014:

Residential burglaries

April 2: 300 block of West 20^th Street. Entry made through unlocked back door; loss of gas can and Smith & Wesson 10mm semi-automatic pistol. Reported at 4:55 p.m.

www.mlive.com (Michigan) – “Athletic money stolen from Parchment schools kept in unlocked locations, police report says” – April 2^nd, 2014:

KALAMAZOO, MI -- Kalamazoo Township police were unable to solve an embezzlement case at Parchment School District because it involved cash kept in two unlocked locations at Parchment High School and was easily accessible to dozens of people, according to police documents.

In a case first made public last week, school officials told police they estimated more than $20,000 in cash went missing during the 2011-12 school year.

The money was from admission fees collected at sporting events, and was almost half of the revenues expected to be generated during the school year, according to the investigation by the Kalamazoo Township Police Department, which has jurisdiction over Parchment. The investigative report was obtained by the Kalamazoo Gazette under the Freedom of Information Act.

After working on the case for 19 months, Kalamazoo Township police ended their active investigation two months ago without a recommendation for an arrest because of the number of people who had easy access to the cash. 

"There are many possibilities of persons who had access to the athletic money who could be viable suspects," including administrators, secretarial staff, teachers, maintenance workers and students, Detective Georgeann Ergang wrote in the final page of the report.

She wrote the money box was kept in either an unlocked cupboard in the high school office or a supply room that was unlocked during the school day and used by numerous people.

The deposits were sometimes made weeks and even months after money was collected and it was common knowledge where the cash was kept prior to being deposited in the bank, Ergang wrote.

"Without an admission from a possible suspect in this case, this case is closed," she wrote.

Longview (Washington) Daily News – “Kelso woman finds stranger hiding in her home in husband’s clothes” – March 31^st, 2014:

An 82-year-old Kelso woman woke up to find a strange man hiding in her spare room and wearing her husband’s clothes early Sunday, according to police.

Police were called to the Banyon Drive residence by a woman who got up just after 2 a.m. because her cat was fussing.

The woman found Sean Frederick Grendon, 37, of Kelso lying on the floor in her spare bedroom, trying to hide under the bed, according to police reports.

She also noticed he was wearing her husband’s clothes, but she said she was more puzzled than afraid.

“I said, ‘What the H are you doing in my house,’ ” she recalled Monday. She asked not to be identified. “And he said he was cold and wet.”

The woman called for her husband, who said he was calling police. Grendon fled but was found outside by responding police officers.

Grendon, also known as “Comatose,” told officers he had been “following the drones” through the woods to the house and got wet, according to police reports. The homeowners apparently left their back door open and he came inside and changed into dry clothes he found inside. He put on a plaid shirt, jeans, a sweatshirt and jacket and a pair of work boots, according to police reports.

Grendon dropped items of his clothing as he moved about the house, but he did grab his wet pants as he fled. He also took a beer from the refrigerator but did not drink it.

“It wasn’t really funny, but we were all laughing about it a bit because it was just so strange,” the woman said. “And my husband and I both made extra sure our door was locked Sunday night.”