A Maple Ridge woman, who had her house broken into, is urging residents to be vigilant and band together.
Jennifer Aubrion, who lives on Dartford Street, in the Hammond neighbourhood, was away with her family on a camping trip last week. When the family returned on Tuesday, July 27, Aubrion noticed her office light was on and her computer was on the ground close to the doorway. Initially, she dismissed this and thought her daughter had used the computer before leaving and brought it down to the ground, but as she looked inside, she noticed the printer was almost falling off the shelf, desk papers strewn everywhere.
“That is when I figured it out. I immediately ran upstairs. Our bedroom had been ransacked. My side of the bed, the worse. All of my clothes taken out of the drawers the vanity drawers were removed and dumped, night stand tables dumped, my husbands dresser didn’t have any clothes pulled out but all of his watch boxes and watches were gone,” she said.
Her kids dressers were rummaged through, their birthday money and tooth fairy money stolen from their wallets.
Unfortunately for the family, their alarm system was not working. The system however records when windows and doors are opened or closed.
“I discovered that they entered through a back window early Monday morning and left through the back door, leaving it unlocked. After reviewing the alarm history they returned another three times through the unlocked back door all the way up to early Tuesday morning,” said Aubrion who was shaken up by the incident.
Several expensive items such as pearl bracelets and necklaces, diamond wedding bands, diamond earrings, as well as more than $5,000 in cash and credit cards were stolen. A lot of sentimental items such as Aubrion’s great grandmother’s 1890 broach cameo and a red blood-stone ring from 1905, her kids’ “first tooth” they lost, their first hair cut samples, Santa letters, pictures, their baby bracelets and a long list of items was also taken by the thieves.
“The advice I would like to give is to get to know your neighbours, be nosey. If something does not look right watch it, record it, take a mental note,” Aubrion said.
Aubrion informed the Ridge Meadows RCMP immediately after she realized what had transpired in her home. When asked, Cst. Julie Klaussner confirmed that the police are investigating a break and enter at the residence, but since this is an ongoing investigation, no further details are available at this time.
In the last month, Maple Ridge had 25 break and enters of which three were in the Hammond neighbourhood. In all, there were 20 property crimes in Hammond last month, including the three break and enters, nine thefts from auto, one auto theft and five mischief.
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“I know Maple Ridge is having an increase in thefts outside of the home, but it seems now they are having the guts to enter homes in the wrong neighborhood,” said Aubrion. “Cameras are our only hope right now, but even that does not give perfect facial recognition. It’s the neighbours who have to band together, exchange info and protect our own neighborhoods.”
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