TUSTIN : Woman Awakened by Burglar in Home
A man robbed the home of a 79-year-old woman while she lay in her bed early Tuesday, the third in a recent string of burglaries in central Orange County, a sheriff’s spokesman said.
The suspect took an undetermined amount of jewelry and coins, but the woman, whose name was not released, was not harmed, Sheriff’s Lt. Richard J. Olson said.
The woman awoke about 4 a.m. Tuesday to find the intruder in her residence, in the 11700 block of Heathcliff Avenue in an unincorporated area near Tustin. He told the woman to remain calm and lie still, and she complied, Olson said. After collecting her valuables, he left quietly, Olson said.
The man apparently entered the house through a sliding glass door, which had been left open during the warm night.
The intruder was described as a slender, white male in his 20s with shaggy brown hair, wearing a camouflage jacket and hat, blue jeans, gloves and a scarf over his face.
Police are investigating the possibility that Tuesday’s burglary may be connected to two similar crimes during the past two weeks, Olson said.
Sheriff’s officials are urging residents to keep their doors and windows locked at night.
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