The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office is warning homeowners after more than a dozen brazen daytime home burglaries.
This comes weeks after they first began seeing the burglaries along the more rural parts of the county.
However, investigators now say the thieves are starting to target the more central, populated parts in the latest trend.
They say the thieves first drive around the home, even knocking on the front door to check if anyone is there.
They then kick the front or back door open before raiding the home and taking off with jewelry, firearms and other items.
"I've been here for 12 years and we've never had a problem," said Gladys Russell, who found her front door kicked in after thieves got in and took off with her jewelry.
So far they've broken into 18 homes around Hernando Co. in the last few weeks.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking people to be on the lookout and immediately call 9-1-1 if they see any suspicious activity.
They say neighboring counties are experiencing similar burglaries and think the thieves are coming in from other counties, switching vehicles every time and making it harder for investigators to narrow down suspect description.
