Break-ins target South Asians in Weston, police say

Thieves entering homes as owners are on vacation

Weston police are investigating recent home break-ins targeting South Asian residents, following a rash of similar thefts in Boston suburbs.

“This has happened here in town and in the surrounding area,” Chief Denis Linehan said in a video message posted Tuesday. “What we’ve seen from these situations is that our victims are normally of South Asian descent.”

Linehan didn’t indicate how many break-ins have been reported.

Earlier this month, Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan said that thieves have targeted the homes of people of Indian and South Asian descent in several Massachusetts communities, including Lincoln, Hopkinton, Weston, Chelmsford, Burlington, and Carlisle.

The break-ins usually happen when people are on vacation, Ryan said.

“We want to get the message out that this is happening,” Ryan said. “The thieves appear to be targeting the homes of Indian American and Asian American families that are away. They are going into the houses and finding lots of unsecured gold jewelry and cash.”

At least 14 of these types of burglaries have been reported in Middlesex County since January, Ryan said last week. Her spokesperson said Thursday that the tally had climbed to 16.

“People should be really conscious about the kinds of information they’re giving out about when they’re going to be away, especially on social media,” Ryan said. Valuables should be locked up in secure a container that is bolted down or cannot be removed, she said.

In Weston, Linehan said the thieves are entering homes from the second floor. He urged residents to be on the lookout for anything that seems amiss and report any concerns to police.

“If there is anything that you see out of the ordinary — somebody that’s walking in the area that you don’t normally see, a vehicle that maybe is idling for an extended period of time — or just something that just doesn’t appear right, please call us,” Linehan said.

He said investigators are working with neighboring police departments and “federal partners” to catch the culprits.

He also urged residents to let police know if they’re planning to leave town.

“We’ll do a vacant house check for you,” Linehan said. “And the Weston PD will take periodic drives by your residence while you’re away to ensure the safety of your residence while you’re gone.”

In Sudbury, police said last week two such burglaries had been reported in as many days. In each instance, the homes were unoccupied and the burglars entered through secondfloor windows, police said.

“Currently, there is no connection between the residents, other than they are both of Indian descent,” the post said. “Regionally, there is an increase exhibiting similar patterns.”

Police advised vacationing residents to make their homes appear to be occupied, put interior lights on timers, install motion lights, lock all windows, including on second floors, and use alarm systems.