According to a robocall from Newton Police Lt. Bruce Apotheker:
Five homes were broken into last night, April 9, between 7:45 and 9:50 p.m. Four of the houses were unoccupied at the time. Locations were: Highland Ave., Kensington Street, and Warwick Road in West Newton; Clarendon Street in Newtonville; and, Chapel Street in Nonantum.
Apotheker reminded residents to lock doors, windows and cars, and remove outdoor objects that can be used to access second floor windows, doors and porches. Turn on outdoor lights, home alarms and motion dectectors.
Call the Newton Police Detective Bureau at 617-795-2104 if you have information or use the police tip line at 617-797-2121.
Has anybody heard what the thieves are stealing? I would guess that they’re on foot but I haven’t read that anywhere.
This story could use more local news coverage.
so one was “home invasion”, this is pretty bold and frightening.
“home invasion” used to be very very rare. what is going on??
https://twitter.com/newtonpolice/status/1380968979875905540?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Dem folks with plenty o plenty
got a lock on the door.
Fraid somebody’s a gonna
rob em while des out making more.
What for?
Agreed, the lack of details on this is frustrating. How did they gain entry, what did they steal?
Where did you hear about the home invasion? Is that a first for Newton?
More questions than answers.
@Kim Smith
NPD has warned residents to lock windows and doors AND remove exterior items that can be used to gain access to second floor windows. From that we can infer B&E through windows above ground floor is one way they are gaining entry. Extremely bold and dangerous to enter through bedrooms. Details are always withheld for a number of reasons, including (a) helps police confirm that they have the right suspect(s) if they can get confirmation of non-public details; (b) trial strategy and avoiding pre-trial prejudice.
Gail- From the limited prior reports items taken were jewelry and a phone – things that can be pawned easily. From the number of houses hit (5 in 2 hours) I suspect they are getting in and out fast taking small items. Carrying out a flat screen at 9:00 pm would probably draw attention.
The fact that they are willing to enter homes when one would expect residents to be home makes them extremely reckless and dangerous and is why B&E in the nighttime is a far more serious crime than daytime B&E.
@Lisa, I was echoing Gail’s comment that there has been very sparse LOCAL news coverage of this. As someone who grew up in a high crime environment, (South Florida) it is indeed very helpful to know the basics – including How and What.
Wonder if the weekend made a difference, as previous reports had many more details, which help us by knowing the modus operandi e.g. robber trying to get in through sliding door.
This helps residents make preparations by buying sliding door locks or bars which do work, etc.
It also helps to figure out if it is the same criminals.
We really cannot infer anything from the generic descriptions. Previous reports had plenty of details.
Our lack of local news coverage is an issue here and in many other areas.
@Kim,
The police are again reminding people to keep their doors and windows locked, and to remove anything outside that can be used to gain access to a second floor. Sliding glass doors have notoriously weak locks and it is wise to either buy a rod to put at the base of the door or use a 2″x4″ so the door can’t be opened.
The m.o. hasn’t changed – they are going into homes at night. In the latest break-ins they went into homes that appeared to be unoccupied, and 4/5 were at the time. Given the number of homes broken into within a 2 hour window, they are obviously making a fast hit looking for things they can grab and go. Previous reports indicated that they took fine jewelry, cell phones, a lap top – things that can be easily carried.
As for news coverage, several local stations have covered this, interviewed the NPD and residents who were robbed. One homeowner described that the thieves used a knife to pry open a locked, second floor bathroom window. Hence, it would not appear that they are bringing their own burglarious tools with them but are looking for anything at the home that can be used to assist their entry. Or they may now be bringing their own tools – that detail only really matters if the police catch them with tools used for breaking into a home. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be smart for the police to alert them through a public notice that they are aware of that particular fact.
The latest report includes a photograph of a vehicle which may have been used in connection with the robbery on Highland Avenue, and a description that there were three individuals, one wearing a red hoodie and all were masked. Another homeowner from the March break-ins described seeing 2 individuals in her living room so we can pretty well conclude that this is a group of 3 (2 to enter the home, one to act as look out in the car).
I too lived in an extremely high crime area. I have a funny Lo-Jack story for another day. I frankly got sick of living with bars on my windows, and a gate across my front door that had to be unlocked to enter or exit. In my experience not only living in a high crime area but as appointed criminal defense counsel for indigent defendants, many theft crimes such as this occur because the perpetrator sees opportunity. Keeping as many lights on as possible, removing anything on our property that can be used by these individuals to gain entry, keeping vigilant are all things we can do to minimize the likelihood that we will be their next opportunity. Hopefully some security video will turn up that allows them to be identified, or they will get caught doing something really stupid (i.e. driving around with a broken brake light or oui). It’s remarkable how many times people are caught because they do something stupid that catches the attention of the police.
@Gail – the previous reports were that they were taking jewelry, phones and a laptop. Given how many homes were hit in a 2 hour window, I would absolutely expect that these are the same type of items that they are going for – as I said before – things that can be easily pawned at the Boston pawn shops.
Wasn’t there a robocall from NPD about a rash of house break-ins only a month or maybe several weeks ago?
Esstees,
Yes. Either the same person(s) onto a different part of Newton or more ppl are targeting newton for home invasions.
What is causing the uptick? Do they think Newton residents are soft on crime?
Picking up on Kim Smith’s comments, Newton needs its own newspaper badly. The Boston Globe isn’t going to do it. How do smaller communities like Martha’s Vineyard do it? I understand that the economics are tough, but there must be a way? V14 just raised the money needed to support web hosting for a year. There are people who would help to support/launch a news “paper” it seems.
Police should meet with Newtonites and answer some tough questions. It feels like they are busy with everything but police work. The Captain should say what is being done and how citizens can help.
Newton is a CITY.
There are close to 100,000 residents here. Many villages are close to the MBTA, Rtes 128, 9, or the Mass Pike. Needham St is close to 128.
So many of the main streets in Newton are pass through or cut through streets to other communities.
It’s really a no brainer. Easy in, easy out. With so many people in this city that are well off, the crime really isn’t surprising. Expect more crime as developments get larger, our population grows, and the pandemic eases. You’ll never hear about this stuff from the chamber of commerce,
but if you think our community is, or should be, immune to crime you’re a fool. Some of the crimes that were committed here when I was a kid were actually committed by Newton residents.
Are we still in all-in on the Defund The Police movement?
Any Defund The Police city councilors care to weigh in here?
NPD released photos of a silver SUV we’re all supposed to be looking out for. Not much identifying detail in the images on Newton Patch. Can anyone tell what make the car is? They all look the same to me. And it could well have been stolen and ditched by now anyway. As to the lack of news coverage, interesting someone should mention Martha’s Vineyard, which has a year-round population under 20,000 and yet supports two weekly independent newspapers.
Michael, I’ve wondered if communities could have local news as a nonprofit.
@Amanda Heller, https://www.facebook.com/NewtonPoliceDepartment/posts/1751901491646337
suggests it might have been an Infinity FX35.
Seems like social media could be used more effectively in real time to notify citizens to be on the lookout, perhaps notifying areas of the city directly affected. Is there something better than codered out there?
Public safety comes first, but I’m going to complain anyway. It was difficult sleeping last night when neighbors felt the need to light up their backyards. Will there be another note telling everyone when they can turn their lights off?
The Newton Police Department hasn’t been defunded – in FY21 its budget was increased by $150k to $22.952 million.
So I’m confused as to your point – is the repeated and unsolved occurrence of similar crimes weekend after weekend, likely committed by the same individuals, somehow indicative of the NPD’s success and/or value-for-money?
Also, it seems to me that the deployment of a half-dozen or cops bicycling a few loops around the residential neighborhoods each night could put an end to this fairly quickly.
Imagine, for example, if we lived in a world where the 4 or 5 officers doing the triple-overtime Feeney Bros. construction detail gig on Needham Street every night could be redeployed to neighborhood bicycle patrol.
@Dima,
Residents can help by following the recommendations from the NPD; lock your doors and windows and leave lights on. The NPD cannot and will not release details that can jeopardize their investigation or any prosecution. These are very serious felonies and if they apprehend these individuals and secure convictions I would expect that these people are looking at substantial jail time, especially since there are victims who were home and terrified. Their job is to apprehend the perpetrators and obtain evidence to secure a conviction.
It is not surprising that Michael is confused. Perhaps we should type slower so he has a chance to catch up.
Micheal,
If theives believe Newton residents don’t respect the police then thieves will act accordingly.
The defund movement have clearly emboldened them as “home invasion” carries extreme penalties
Its time for some one council to stop virtue signalling and address residents safety concerns.
@Bugek – Really? Those are some very civically engaged thieves.
Jerry,
“Defund” has been a major news item for several months. Everyone knows and everyone knows Newton is a liberal city.
Again, why the uptick in “home invasions”, it used to be SERIOUSLY RARE. This is something the mayor and councilors should work urgently to stop before more thieves seen Newton as an “easy town”
If this was just a single group responsible for 5 break-ins, imagine several terrorizing residents throughout the summer
Hey Bugek-
It is really ridiculous to argue that the people involved in these burglaries “believe that Newton residents don’t respect the police” and therefore- ipso facto- Newton residents are more vulnerable to home invasion. Even if you are right ( and you are most assuredly wrong) that Newton residents do not respect the police, the inference you make is way to nebulous to seriously contemplate.
We are a wealthy community with expensive stuff in nice homes. Willie Sutton, a notorious bank robber was asked, “Why do you rob banks?” His answer, ” Because that’s where the money is.” Welcome to Newton
Peter bloy,
Whats your explanation for the sudden rise in “home invasions”, its been rare for decades
It takes a very emboldened criminal to want to confront a homeowner and their family.
Just because this crime doesn’t fit some liberal narrative does not mean it should be ignored. It should be priority number 1 for the mayor before it gets out of control.
Only on a blog in Newton, could robberies become political.
@Bugek – I haven’t seen anyone suggest that the recent spate of robberies should be ignored.
Bugek:
Funny, having lived in Newton for quite some time, I seem to remember other break-ins occurring, including quite a few in quick succession until the police caught the thief (or they moved on to less hyper-aware locations). A few years back, I even remember exiting my house in my pajamas one morning and coming face to face with a young officer, who was pursuing someone breaking into cars on my block. A lot of cars if I remember correctly. To say that it was exceedingly rare isn’t true, it was rare, and it is still rare, but spurts like this happen, and when they happen we discuss it and worry about it. That’s why it is making news. But one thieving crew targeting homes in Newton does not a trend make, just like the spate of car break ins over multiple years did not, or the house break-ins during the height of the opioid crisis.
Also, the idea that the defund movement has any role in any of this (or the city council can address any of this directly) doesn’t make a lot of (or any) sense. The idea that thieves are emboldened by a political movement to target Newton is silly. There were dozens of towns far more engaged in this rhetoric than Newton, and most of our neighboring towns had similar events/discussions as us. Just because two events (Defund and crime spree) occur at the same time does not mean they linked, except in the minds of folks having fever dreams of super woke thieves plotting criminal money moves on the back of a political movement. Using these break-ins as a proxy for whatever political battle you are choosing to highlight is a bit ghoulish as well. Especially since you have zero proof, and mostly seem to be posting this to stir the pot on the defund movement (which hasn’t actually occurred in Newton since we’ve increased funding for our police).
Seems more likely it is our close proximity to a major city, the fact that many folks don’t lock their doors, and some degree of wealth as well. Lisa has it right with practical advice. Lock your doors. Be aware and keep lights on.
Also, pointing out the value of our police every time there is crime is self-evident, but doesn’t address what many of us would like to see in increased police/civilian discussion on how to better serve the public. I value having a vigilant police force protecting us, but I’d also like reforms that bring in social workers for civilians suffering from a mental crisis, and less focus on a force response. There are many such conversations to have with our police, and there is progress to be made. You can respect the difficult job the police often have and still want to see their interactions with the public be improved, made less traumatic, made less deadly.
Fignewtonville,
Since we both have evidence that the defund movement has not affected crime, we’ll have to agree to disagree.
I guess the spike in crimes in Portland, SF, NYC and the spike in Newton “home invasions” are just co-incidence.
Nothing to see here until someone gets hurt
According to the Globe, there were 11 Newton residence break-ins between 3/12/21 and 3/21/21. And according to the police call, there were 5 additional home break-ins on 4/9/21. In both strings of break-ins, there were cases where the occupants were at home. Perhaps this high concentration of break-ins/home invasions has occurred before, but I don’t remember it.
I don’t know why this is happening now, but do think the Globe’s relentless portrayal of Newton residents as wealthy racist jerks might possibly make Newton more of a target. It certainly doesn’t help.
Bugek, I think the obvious answer is that the massive social upheaval due to Covid, including the incredible job loss, might have a little something to do with it. But you also have a perception issue working here. You see a small sample size of crimes in your local community. You then generalize that such small sample means a crisis is upon us, ignoring said small sample size.
Americans also tend to believe Crime is going up in this country. 20 of 24 Gallup Surveys since 1993, 60% of US adults believe crime is rising in the US. But that is perception, not facts. In fact, crime has fallen tremendously over that time period. Property Crime has fallen by 55%, Burglary by 69%, theft by 49%, robberty by 68%, murder by 47%, assult by 43%. We are safer than ever, but because of perception (fed in part by local news coverage, especially tv news leading with the crime of the day story), we feel less safe. Every small trend is therefore a crisis. Alert the City Council! Call out the Guard! See https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/11/20/facts-about-crime-in-the-u-s/ for the facts to back up the above.
Larceny/Theft/Burglary are some of the most common crimes in the US. According to the FBI, property crime is down in 18 of the largest 25 cities in the UC, and many of those 18 cities were leaders in the defund movement. Overall crime is DOWN 5.3 percent across the 25 largest American cities vs 2019. You can certainly pick a few data points to support your argument, but the overall trend (and the FBI data) doesn’t support your argument at all. In fact, it contradicts it.
Now the murder rate is certainly up in the cities you mentioned. One theory is that lock-downs increase the rates of domestic violence ending in death. In some cities, drug crime has increased. Murder rates are up 13% in Jackonville, 36% in New Orleans, 43% in Nashville, 34% in Chicago, 23% in NYC. That’s a wide range of different cities in different parts of the country.
@Bugek- you say that the Defund movement has affected crime, can you share the specific evidence? An increase in crime doesn’t qualify as evidence. Please do share and give specific examples where the Defund movement has caused crime to increase or police to be less effective. It’s an honest question. I haven’t interviewed any criminals lately so I don’t know what their true motives are.
Why have we not been told what took place when it was a “home invasion” what did they do, turn and run or was there any conversation or threats? Has there been any descriptions that match other “home invasions” descriptions, because it maybe one group or could be several groups.
I do believe Newton tends to cover up a lot of things and not be fully open. We as citizens need to know any information regarding who is doing the break-ins to help protect ourselves and also many neighbors have a neighborhood watch and may know what or who to look for.
One thing I have noticed for years, Newton tells you what they choose to not what you should know. An example and I know many people have commented on this, was the shooting which took place this past January. We as citizens and taxpayers should be entitled to know the facts. There are 4 officers on “paid suspension” why are there 4? There were only 2 involved in the shooting. Also, they have held back the names of the officers which again, the public should be able to know. Whenever you read a story about the other towns, the officers names and years on the force have always been released. Mayor Fuller hush’s up too much and makes you have to wonder what else we are not made aware of.
But, as far as the break in’s, we should be given an idea of how they entered the residence and what was stolen, the value amount and mostly those who were home what happened. I remember hearing a couple of months ago one break in the woman was sleeping in bed and the burglar brushed up against her and she woke up. Now you have no idea if this is true or a falsehood someone is passing around. We should be given certain details they do not have to disclose everything that could hinder their case, but give us more information to protect ourselves, our families and our homes.
@Bugek, I totally agree with all the points you have made. Why suddenly all these break ins, Newton had been voted the safest city for many years. Now suddenly, we are having a series of break ins.
We have always had car break ins, especially where I live, I live right where the college is and any given time you see groups of kids walking up and down the street. One thing that has always concerned me is that we are so close to the trolly station, it is a quick exit. And someone on here mentioned that there was a lot of train and MBTA stations around Newton which does make for an easy escape. For example, the Village Bank had been robbed several times and the culprit was seen running across to the MBTA area across the street. But there is nothing we can do about it, maybe have more police presence around these areas.
@Bugek – you keep calling one of these a “home invasion”, I guess because someone happened to be home at the time. But “home invasion” is a specific crime that requires multiple elements, not just someone being home at the time. The defendant has to enter the dwelling, they have to have known (or should have known) that someone was home *or* have remained in the home after discovering someone was present, they have to be armed, and they have to have caused or threatened to cause bodily harm. If someone breaks into a dwelling and flees when discovered by someone in the house, that’s B&E, which is scary enough, but it’s not home invasion.
Tricia
Your words will reassure me if I’m home and someone breaks in. If my wife and kids are at home, I don’t think i’ll be parsing semantics.
Yes, i’ll stick to “home invasion” to not downplay the horrendous crimes being committed which need appropriate response from the city.
The Village Bank has not been robbed multiple times. The last Bank Robbery in Newton was 2016.
@Peter Bloy pretty much sums it up. People rob houses where they expect to find items of value. I’m sure the Police are deep into theories and scenarios of what is occurring and my take is that it’s nothing more than usual burglary. The scary part is that in some case people are home.
Meaning that some bad individuals have developed a plan based upon their criminal goals and are acting on their plans. Seems like targeting the same city, but different neighborhoods means they have familiarity in some way.
They’ll be caught, it’s only a matter of one video, or some mistakes on their part, especially in entering occupied homes.
Best defense: A dog!
@Tricia- Teach me something please … If but a B&E, am I still within my rights to shoot and kill an intruder encountered standing in my bedroom during the night, when I most assuredly ought to be alone and have no place safe to retreat, or must they be invading my home for me to rightfully kill them on the spot?
Boston.com is reporting that a burglary suspect was arrested early yesterday attempting to break into a home here in Newton. Police are trying to determine whether the suspect is connected to the other break-ins. Notably the individual was armed with a knife.
Keep your doors and cars locked, and exterior lights on.
@Mary Presumptuous,
Massachusetts does have what is colloquially referred to as a “Castle Doctrine”, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 278 Section 8A. The statute recognizes a legal defense to killing or injuring someone unlawfully in your home if you have a reasonable belief that person is about to inflict great bodily harm on you or someone else lawfully in your home. There is no duty to retreat in those circumstances. Hope that helps. Statutes can be difficult to summarize briefly but that’s the gist of it. If you Google the citation you can see the actual language of the law.
@w.mahagan I don’t really care about the dates, the point is the bank has been held up several times and the suspect has been seen running across to the MBTA Station whether they are running to catch the T or to head to the wooded area, who knows, but the point is their is an easy escape route there.
@Tricia, if you are sitting at home and someone unwanted enters your home and invades your privacy and property, that is a home invasion to me. What do you want it to be called “B&E with an audience”? There are different types of “Home Invasions”. I consider this situation to be a Home Invasion.
To put his spike in perspective:
from boston globe: …”There have been 28 house breaks in Newton since Jan. 1, 2021, according to Lieutenant Bruce M. Apotheker. Last year during that same period there were six house breaks, he said.”….
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/04/14/metro/after-rash-break-ins-newton-police-asking-residents-with-cameras-sign-up-virtual-community-watch-program/