Woman says thieves using list of Indian families in burglaries
VANCOUVER, Wash. - An entire community may be at risk of having their homes burglarized and their most precious items stolen, because members of the metro area's Eastern Indian community say thieves have a directory of hundreds of families' names and phone numbers.
The thieves have already broken into at least 30 homes. That's not an official number from police, but the latest victim said Thursday it's an accurate number.
Shilpa Patel, whose Northeast Vancouver home was burglarized Monday, said families in their community are very close and share information. There's a directory of as many as 300 families that contains their names phone numbers and addresses. And now that directory, Patel said, is being used by thieves as they target homes including hers.
Late Monday after she returned from work, Patel found her sliding back door smashed through, her bedroom turned upside down and her jewelry boxes emptied of every gold piece – about $40,000 worth of family heirlooms.
"Everything is gone," she said. "I don't think I can replace it anymore, and it's very heartbreaking."
Patel said Eastern Indian community members have confirmed among themselves at least 30 such burglaries since March. She said the break-ins and thefts ramped up after a Portland home was burglarized and thieves took a list of names, phone numbers and addresses of hundreds of Indian families.
"And it looks like they have been picking numbers or names from that directory and breaking in," she said.
Washington County has had at least four such burglaries since March, and now the sheriff's office is just learning about that list.
"Any information that is out there that helps a criminal, obviously is not good,”" said Sgt. Bob Ray with the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
Ray said his office is sharing information with the Vancouver Police Department as they try to catch the thieves.
But there is still a growing fear among community members, according to Patel.
"It needs to be stopped one way or the other," she said.
Indian community members are now asking neighbors to watch their homes. The burglars only break in through a back door and only during school hours. In fact, Patel said the thefts stopped during the summer but as soon as school started again so did the burglaries.
Additionally, she said two of her friends and neighbors were burglarized over the weekend.
It's a schoolteacher! Not really, but maybe someone who works at a school and is out of town during the summer enjoying their 3 month vacation. Steal during the work year and enjoy Mexico during the summer. lol.
It's a schoolteacher!
Eastern Indian families need to start investing in home security systems...pit bulls, ADT, Brinks, ...anything that will keep you safer. But really the core of the issue is what Margay said- get the jewelry and money into safe deposit boxes or a bolted down floor safe.Â
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Secure your place and your belongings. This isn't India. This is a mad world in the US.Â
Seems to me like a "neighborhood watch" might be a good thing here... The police can't be everywhere at the same time, and they usually don't get involved until AFTER the crime has already been committed.   Floor safes are a great idea, if you can afford them.  Bank safe deposit boxes are also readily available, and they are NOT that expensive.  Â
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The burglary problem is widespread these days - and well known.  People who have things worth taking need to take extra precautions on their own to secure them, AND they need to avoid talking about what they keep in their home in the way of valuables.   In the case of the East Indians and their heirloom jewelry, this seems to be a traditional practice, so that would make it even more important for people to take extra precautions.  Â
Am I the only one who sees more glass OUTSIDE than in? How does that happen if they are breaking IN?
 @Leroy's Momma I don't - I think perhaps you are mistaking the vertical blinds for the edge of the wall.
"It needs to be stopped one way or another". [Patel] said.
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I guess you could scream at the cops for more patrols, or maybe even go out and try to recall all of the directories you printed up.You could hire a full-time house sitter, so your home is never empty.
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Or maybe put all the gold and valuables in your car, drive to a bank, and put them in a safe deposit box. On your way home, stop by the animal shelter and adopt a dog...nothing vicious, just something that barks when strangers are around. After you get home from the bank, call your insurance company and get a rider on your homeowners policy to cover high-dollar valuables.
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I remember when I was a kid hearing how Jewish homes were targeted because they didn't believe in keeping their valuables in banks. Guess that's the implication, here?
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''The burglars only break in through a back door and only during school hours. In fact, Patel said the thefts stopped during the summer but as soon as school started again so did the burglaries. Additionally, she said two of her friends and neighbors were burglarized over the weekend.''
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That statement doesn't make sense, unless the school is in session on the weekend. Maybe they didn't mean to say ''hours''. Either way, if that's the case, I'd start looking for an inside suspect who is here on a school visa.
 @Lips I was wondering about an inside connection of some kind, someone in trouble with drugs/gambling etc. They know that summer is when the kids might be home is another reason for the timing. School visas last more than 9 mos generally...more alike a few years. Or there is someone "more transient" (from outside the community)who used to do some kind of in-home service work for someone in this community (i.e. cleaning, caregiver, etc.) who became familiar with the community's habits and possessions and life patterns) who is either directly involved or has low-life spouse/friends involved in this crime. These families either need invincible safes put into concrete in the floors and hidden or need safe-deposit boxes.
@whirledworld @Lips I like this. The in home service industry is a good place to start. From there cross reference the homes in the directory with kids and a sliding back door. When all three connect up at an address, set up a trap with cameras, an automatic 911 call and a pit bull. OK so there's plenty of homes on the list to choose from and which one gets the trap. Challenges, challenges.
Safety Deposit Box available in thousands of banks
I would say post an undercover officer at each one of those addresses. Oh when they say stopped one way or the other? these people do not mess around with thieves. In the US or Not, the thieves are taking a big risk of have a sword ran through them or being shot..in if they catch the people, I do not think the police wouldn't need to worry any more.
Just to be clear when they say family heirlooms those are very old pieces and probably can date back several hundred to a thousand years. maybe even two thousand years. which could bring a high profit. also depending on the art work and the tribe it could be even worth more. I do hope that they catch the thieves no one deserves to be ripped off.
@lee986321 Dude. Indian- like Kumar from 'Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle', chapati & curry dishes, Apu charging Homer $20 for a gallon of milk from 'The Simpsons'. Don't sweat it.
 @lee986321 Two thousand years? Oh please. You just like to post comments on every story, even when you don't have a damn clue what you're talking about. "Tribe"?? You do realize these are "Indians" right? Not "Native Americans"? You're a joke, Lee.
Knowing that they are a target would make a reasonable person take precautions like locking up the valuables in a safe that is secured to the floor and well hidden. At least that is what I would be doing.
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It appears that this is not the thinking of everyone.
 @RalphCramden Not to mention not going on TV and announcing that these families typically keep their valuable heirlooms in their house.
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For sure. It's pretty clear that they don't need a PR person. They are doing just fine themselves.