Three houses in nearby Tuckahoe Elementary and Maybeury school districts have neighbors on the lookout after cameras, computers, jewelry and other goods were stolen.

The most recent break-in occurred last Wednesday at Barbara Mitchell’s house on Cedarbrooke Lane.

Mitchell said the thieves tried a door to the utility room first, but only broke the glass, not the lock. They then moved on to the door to the den, Mitchell said, which didn’t stand a chance.

“If they really want to get in your house, they’ll get in,” Mitchell said.

The thieves broke in through that door and ransacked the house, Mitchell said, stealing a computer, digital cameras, and jewelry.

Police say this break-in is cause for concern because it was the third to happen within a one-and-a-half mile radius of Henrico County over two days last week. The other break-ins were reported on Turnbull Avenue and Timken Drive.

Neighbors like Sandra and Stephen Peterson say they are helping to alert other residents through a newsletter and e-mails.

“Well, I think we’ve got a really close-knit community here and people generally watch out for one another,” Stephen Peterson said. So when people do get that information, people do get on high alert.”

While police say it’s still unclear if the three crimes are related, they all share some similarities. The break-ins occurred during the day and the criminals always broke in through a back door. Twice, the thieves made off with computers

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