LYNNWOOD, Wash. — Thieves in Everett have a new tactic to break into peoples' homes during the night: They're unscrewing light bulbs off front porches and crawling in through windows.
Five mobile home parks have been hit, and at least 25 households have fallen victim, said KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Graham Johnson.
Johnson obtained surveillance video from investigators. The video shows a man they call a person of interest who detectives believe knows something about the burglaries.
Johnson found a neighbor on patrol at the Lynnwood Heights Mobile Home park Monday night, where there was a new alarm system at one home.
There have been about eight break-ins in the park, people who live there told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.
A burglar or burglars unscrewed the outside light bulbs at Rita Koehn's home, then crawled in the window, stole her purse and dropped it in the driveway.
"We were in bed. We didn't hear a thing," Koehn said.
Snohomish County sheriff's detectives released surveillance pictures of a man they said is a person of interest in 25 mobile home break-ins.
All the victims live in communities of people 55 and older.
Carriage Club Estates resident Robert Thomas awoke to find a window and two doors wide open, but he couldn't find anything missing.
"I think I scared him off," he said.
He said the intruder moved a big rock to step up to his window.
People have cut back shrubs, secured windows and installed motion sensor lights, hoping to prevent more break-ins.