[graciegirl]

Bridgeport at Miona Shores home burglarized while couple sleeps

January 3, 2014 By Meta Minton 20 Comments
A Village of Bridgeport at Miona Shores home was burglarized early Friday morning as a husband and wife were sleeping in their bedroom.
The wife attempted to wake the husband at 3:37 a.m. thinking she heard a noise, but they went back to sleep. The woman then got up at 4:15 a.m.
She immediately noticed that their dogs, usually secured behind a doggie gate, were roaming about the house, located in the 1100 block of Miona Shores Drive, according to Lt. Bobby Caruthers of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
She and her husband soon discovered that a screen on the lanai had been cut. Entry was gained through a sliding glass door.
Items taken in the break-in included a 50-inch flat screen television, a digital camera and a Macintosh computer, Caruthers said.
This makes eight burglaries which have taken place in the past 60 days in The Villages.
Of the seven burglaries, four included forced entry by kicking in the front door, two gained entry through forcing open a sliding glass door and the final burglary was to an automobile, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
The burglaries have occurred on the following dates:
• Nov. 3 in the Village of Pinellas at Cedar Grove.
• Nov. 20 in the Village of Sanibel.
• Nov. 21 in the Village of Fernandina.
• Dec. 18 in the Village of Glenbrook.
• Dec. 19, again in the Village of Sanibel.
• Dec. 24 in the Village of Polo Ridge.
• Dec. 26, again in the Village of Fernandina.
Villages Homeowners Association Director-at-Large Irv Markely, a resident of the Village of Bridgeport at Miona Shores, has been trying to keep his neighbors aware of such incidents and sent out an email blast to his neighborhood encouraging vigilance.
Lt. Nehemiah Wolfe urges Villagers to take advantage of the sheriff’s free home inspection program. Through it, a member of the sheriff’s office will visit a home and provide tips on securing the home. You can schedule an appointment by calling 689-4600.
He added that neighbors looking out for neighbors is also effective.

[l2ridehd]

Seems to me that The Villages tax base for the three counties should be able to provide OUTSTANDING police protection and swift action to apprehend culprits. Maybe they need to do more real crime protection and cut back on speed monitoring. I am sure all of us want speeding prevented, but given the choice I would much rather they spend their cycles on getting these crimes solved and the burglars behind bars. Then they can go back to being traffic cops.

[Spectreron]

I don't get it. My dogs and any other I've ever known would have gone nuts with someone on the patio. Did they give them a treat? I've always heard that a dog was better than any alarm. These guys must be smooth!

[NJblue]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

Seems to me that The Villages tax base for the three counties should be able to provide OUTSTANDING police protection and swift action to apprehend culprits. Maybe they need to do more real crime protection and cut back on speed monitoring. I am sure all of us want speeding prevented, but given the choice I would much rather they spend their cycles on getting these crimes solved and the burglars behind bars. Then they can go back to being traffic cops.

Yeah, but when I'm going 20 MPH in my golf cart and someone whizzes by me at 22 MPH my ego is hurt.

[LynnDeb]

It looks like we all will be getting security systems soon

[tommy steam]

I have seen more police south of 466a in the last few weeks.

[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by LynnDeb

It looks like we all will be getting security systems soon

Not me! Bought on the historic side - where it looks like even the criminals think we don't have anything worth stealing!

[patfla06]

Originally Posted by LynnDeb

It looks like we all will be getting security systems soon

Me too - but we always planned to put one in.
Now we will do it sooner then later.

[ettojr]

Now to be honest, my math skills are breathtakingly minuscule. And my dog (a beagle) would unlock the door for burglars and offer them tea, if he had thumbs. But even this spate of recent robberies cannot amount to anywhere near the normal amount of local crime that can happen in any area.
I do not discount the anguish of the homeowner because it is real and it stays in the back of your mind forever. Mine is there from 25 years ago. Someone was in my house and went through my things. It gives me the willies! Consider the location of homes. My old home was pretty secluded. Ripe for the picking. Do you have neighbors on all sides now? That helps.
Please just go about your daily lives. Always be mindful of your surroundings. Of course, look your doors and windows. If you are out at night, have your key in hand in the parking lot, light up the car with your key fob before getting in. Don't let the bad guys ruin what you have here in "lower paradise". We all worked long and hard to get here.
Graciegirl, two posts from you on this topic. That upsets me. Don't let it mess with your peace of mind. I'll send my dog over...he's well...pretty much useless but damn cute!

[Dandydon]

No matter where one lives there will always be a thief of some sort. I've been coming to TV for the last 5 years and finally bought in Polo Ridge this past September. Within a month I had a security system installed. Nothing to do with Polo Ridge or TV, it's just a piece of mind. I had a system in MA for 20 years and the best feeling, when leaving, was knowing my valuables were protected.

[Matt and Gail]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

Seems to me that The Villages tax base for the three counties should be able to provide OUTSTANDING police protection and swift action to apprehend culprits. Maybe they need to do more real crime protection and cut back on speed monitoring. I am sure all of us want speeding prevented, but given the choice I would much rather they spend their cycles on getting these crimes solved and the burglars behind bars. Then they can go back to being traffic cops.

Living in Gilchrist I can tell you that I have seen more semi marked and fully marked sheriff units in residential areas (not just on main roads) then I have seen since we came down full time in July 2011. I can tell by the presence that someone has raised the awareness (good job SCSO).

They seem to stop anything that looks out of place. They will get caught, and hopefully before a homeowner stands their ground

People are critical if they stop golf carts and aren't arresting bad guys but it's all part of the job. Slow down, be nice to people and remain vigilant during this string of burglaries. It's much better than most areas but no community is perfect. JMHO