Bold daytime burglars scared off by homeowner

Bold daytime burglars were apparently just beginning to loot a home in the 16800 block of South First Avenue Tuesday morning when the homeowner walked in after dropping his child off at school.

As the man walked into the home around 8:45 a.m. he noticed a bedroom door moving. When he went to push it open, the burglars pushed back. That's when the man decided to run to the kitchen and get a knife to defend himself. The two suspects decided to escape by jumping out the closed bedroom window.

"They didn't even open it, they just jumped right through the glass window," said Phoenix police Sgt. Leonard Piñuelas.

Nothing was reported missing from the home and no one was injured.

The suspects were described as two black males, between 16 and 20 years old. One was said to be under 6-feet tall, about 250 pounds, heavy-set, wearing a green and white baseball cap, white T-shirt with a logo on it and basketball shorts. The second suspect was described as being taller and thin, possibly 150 pounds, wearing a black baseball cap, dark blue T-shirt and dark basketball shorts.

One was last seen fleeing south, on foot, towards Liberty Lane and the other was seen running east, crossing Central Avenue.

Police say that several neighbors saw the two in the neighborhood shortly before the break-in.

"These guys were seen by at least a couple of the residents around Liberty Lane and Central Avenue, sitting on a curb, watching cars," Piñuelas said.

The victim also saw the two, Piñuelas said, and thought they were out of place, but didn't think much of it.

An urban myth is that officers are so busy that they don't have time to deal with vague suspicions or feelings that something is out of place or just not right.

Not true.

"Please call us so we can check it out," Piñuelas said.

Anyone with any information on Tuesday's burglary is asked to call CrimeStop at (602) 262-6151.