Makaha neighbors
demand action on
string of burglaries

Residents of a Makaha oceanfront neighborhood are clamoring for police to put an end to a rash of burglaries since September.

Carolyn Dingus was asleep when burglars entered her house and carted off a 42-inch plasma TV, jewelry and lots of camera and computer equipment.

"They got so much stuff, they dropped a $1,500 camera," she said. "They were just loaded to their teeth."

Dingus and her neighbors have tallied more than 30 burglaries on three streets -- Moua, Upena and Makau -- and residents say they are frustrated and angry that more isn't being done.

Police say patrol officers gather facts and interview witnesses, and detectives follow up more thoroughly.

They said 14 burglaries and a handful of theft and auto break-ins had been reported since September.

More than half a dozen of the cases involved nighttime entries while residents slept. Others occurred when homeowners were in their yards.

"They keep getting bolder and bolder, which means they are becoming more dangerous," Dingus said.

"Several of my neighbors have bought guns because they don't feel safe," she said.

Carleton Rehr had her purse stolen from the kitchen as she and her husband sat nearby in the living room.

She said someone was scoping out her yard and her neighbor's with a flashlight two weeks ago, and then her neighbor's house was broken into.

Police advise residents to activate alarm systems and lock doors at night and while out in the yard if they can't see their front or back doors.

Detective Letha DeCaires, CrimeStoppers Coordinator, said a confrontation is more likely when a burglar enters a home while people are asleep.

"Cat burglars can escalate. There is the concern of the potential for sex assault," DeCaires said. "When there's a botched burglary, there have been other cases where people come home and get shot."

She stressed the importance of reporting suspicious activities and crimes quickly.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Brian Loudermilk at 692-4409 or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cell phone.