One batty burglary

Thieves who broke into an Epping residence under the cover of darkness may have a bat to thank for keeping the homeowners sound asleep during their burglary.
Police said the couple didn’t hear a thing when the thieves broke in and stole their 52-inch TV and other belongings, possibly because they closed their bedroom door earlier in the night to keep a bat from flying in while they slept.
The couple usually leaves their bedroom door open at night, but they had closed it on the night of the burglary after they were up late trying unsuccessfully to get a bat out of the main part of the house.
Officers were called to the Jenness Road residence just before 4 a.m. on Sept. 1 when the homeowners eventually awoke and discovered the burglary.
Police Chief Gregory Dodge said the thieves entered the house after removing a screen from a front window.
The homeowners were sleeping at the time of the break-in but were later awakened by their barking dog.
When the husband went to bring the dog outside, he discovered the TV was gone.
“They heard nobody come in and nobody leave. They were reacting to the dog barking,” Dodge said.
Given the size of the TV, Dodge said it appears that more than one thief was involved in the burglary.
In addition to the TV, a knife and digital camera were also taken. The female homeowner’s purse was also found emptied out in the backyard with items taken, Dodge said.
It seems the thieves were careful not to make too much racket. Dodge said they removed items that were sitting on a shelf near the window and placed them in the back yard so that they wouldn’t knock them over. Dodge described the burglary as unusual, saying it’s uncommon for thieves to break in while the homeowners are inside.
Detectives recovered evidence from the scene, including fingerprints that are currently bring processed. Dodge said police have suspects.
Police have received no other reports of either daytime or nighttime burglaries in the Jenness Road area.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to call the Epping Police Department’s Detective Division at 679-5122.