Sneaked into the house

Jewelry worth 40,000 euros stolen from bedside cabinet

Criminals are currently targeting particularly valuable pieces of jewelry in sneak-in thefts.(Bild: dpa/Uli Deck (Symbolbild))

The perpetrators are getting bolder and bolder. Sneak-in thieves strike in broad daylight while the victims are in the house. The criminals are after precious gold and silver jewelry. A stranger recently made a rich haul in a coup in Markt St. Martin.

A good three weeks ago, a single woman in the Oberpullendorf district was "helplessly at the mercy" of a brazen criminal. The perpetrator had no qualms about sneaking into the victim's house in broad daylight and searching for valuables in the living room while the owner was carefree on the upper floor.

Crime scene observed
Unnoticed, the intruder snatched jewelry worth more than 10,000 euros and disappeared before the woman could discover the theft. Investigators assume that the criminal had thoroughly spied out the crime scene. This is because thieves and burglars usually look for a "good opportunity", as scientific studies have shown.

Focus on senior citizens
The crime scene should be easy to access, the coup must be carried out quickly and the risk of being caught must be low. This was the result of a survey of imprisoned criminals. Many of them specifically target older residents. In contrast to younger people, who usually have their money in the bank, senior citizens keep a lot more valuables and cash in the house, the criminals assume. And they are on the lookout for signs of pensioners' homes, such as curtains.

Prey that shines
The victims are deeply shocked! The homeowner from the Oberpullendorf district has still not recovered from the shock.

The next coup was not long in coming. A perpetrator struck again. During a sneak-in theft in a terraced house in Markt St. Martin, the stranger rummaged through the bedroom and found exquisite pieces of jewelry in the bedside cabinet. The value of the precious booty exceeds 40,000 euros. There is no trace of the thief for the time being.