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Residents sleep through two Ottawa Co. home invasions

Posted at 3:38 PM, Dec 15, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-17 08:58:57-05

HOLLAND TWP., Mich. - The Ottawa County Sheriff is investigating two home invasions that happened early Monday morning.

The incidents happened between 4:00am and 6:30am in the neighborhood near 120th Avenue and Riley Street in Holland Township.  One was in the 3000 block of Sunrise Drive and the other was in the 2800 block of Riley Ridge Drive.

On Wednesday, FOX 17 spoke with one of the victim's neighbors, Jaun Castorena.

"My wife was kind of afraid you know, she’s a stay at home mom and the last thing she wants to do is worry about someone breaking in, especially at that time," said Castorena. 

He said neighbors are now on edge in the normally quiet neighborhood.

Investigators say that in both cases, the suspect or suspects came in through unlocked doors. Residents were asleep in the homes during the incidents.  The homeowners reported hearing strange noises about the times of the crimes, but did not see anything.

Police said it's likely the suspects tried breaking into several homes, but only gained entry through unlocked doors.

Capt, Mark Bennett with the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office said these cases are a bit unusual.

“That’s a little bit out of the ordinary. Oftentimes ,we have break-ins, nobody’s home, that’s usually the general method of operation," said Bennett.

Bennett also said cell phones were stolen from the bedrooms where the victims were sleeping.

"Very alarming and brazen," Bennett added.

Meanwhile, Jaun Castorena continues to look out for his family.

"[We] just got to take care of ourselves and keep an eye out for people who look abnormal," he said.

The suspect or suspects took thousands of dollars of property, including jewelry, computers, mobile devices and cash, walking away with up to $25,000 worth of property.

Police say the homeowners reported hearing strange noises around the time of the break in but didn't see anything.

Currently, there are no suspects, but police do have a few leads.

Anyone with information should call Silent Observer at 1-877-88-SILENT or the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office at 800-249-0911.