Woman confronts burglar in home

MONTROSE — A suspected prowler may have graduated from “brazen” to “extreme,” after a Sunday incident was linked to a series of September burglaries.

In the earlier incidents, which occurred over a period of days, a suspected burglar or burglars entered unlocked homes at hours when their residents were likely to be present and took a variety of items, including firearms. In one case, the perpetrator passed within a few feet of a sleeping homeowner.

On Sunday, the latest reported victim, a 23-year-old woman, was not only at home, but awaken by a man standing in her bedroom on Whitehouse Drive.

“He put his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming,” Montrose Police Chief Tom Chinn said Monday. “That is extreme.”

When the man let go, the woman leapt from her bed and chased him out of her home.

“I’ve got to give her a lot of credit for resisting like she did,” Chinn said. “She didn’t lay there and take it; she didn’t let him continue to do whatever it was he wanted to do.”

Chinn said the woman was able to chase the man out of the house. She provided a brief description of him as “a Spanish male, 5-feet, 7-inches (tall).”

The latest incident is thought to be linked to the September burglaries, which occurred on Ironton Court, Bordeaux Drive, Cobble Drive, Mt. Hayden Court and Lonetree Lane. Police found these burglaries “immensely” concerning because the perpetrators were not deterred by the possibility of being confronted by homeowners.

The latest case is different in that the residence on Whitehouse Drive was apparently locked. However, police are treating the incidents as related.

“This fits the same pattern of what we’ve seen in the past. It’s a strong possibility and we have to assume that it is (related) based on what it is,” Chinn said.

He also said police had received reports of similar attempts in the American Village neighborhood.

“We have had some reports of doorknobs being rattled. We were told this door was locked. My suggestion is deadbolts,” he said, encouraging homeowners to invest in them.

“I think this guy will come back and do it again. I think people need to make it as hard for him and these types of people as they can.”

Anyone with information about any of the incidents is asked to contact police at 252-5200 during business hours or 249-4020 after hours. Dispatch can be reached at 252-4023.