Officials are urging homeowners to call their local police and to not confront any thieves trying to break into their cars after a group of suspects were caught on camera carrying weapons. NBC10’s Deanna Durante has more.
Police are issuing a stern warning for car and home owners as a new trend of thieves being armed and upping their games becomes more prevalent.
One local homeowner in Montgomery County was lucky he wasn't seriously hurt after coming in contact with these thieves.
It's a new trend that is shocking to police officers because these were once considered petty thieves but they are more often armed.
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"We have to assume that these individuals are so dangerous that if a citizen were to confront them, they could most likely be shot," Abington Police Chief Patrick Molloy said.
Two men were recently caught on camera skulking into a Cheltenham driveway and rifle through the cars that were parked.
Then as a light comes on, the suspects, who were allegedly armed, point as a homeowner starts to look outside.
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Surveillance videos at homes catching incidents like this are becoming increasingly common online, police said.
Police say that these suspects are looking for spare change and other things in the cars.
"We know these suspects have been involved in at least 26 thefts, we believe, in Abington area," Chief Molloy explained.
Officials are warning homeowners to be careful and to not approach thieves in situations like this because they are likely going to be armed.
From Ambler to Haverford, police explained, that there are plenty of similar cases.
Officials are asking anyone with information about these suspects to call your local police department right away.
