By Erin Tiernan — Erin@concordbridge.org
Police are still searching for the burglars who broke into a West Concord home last Thursday while residents were inside — with the perpetrators likely connected to an organized theft ring targeting homes around New England.
Burglars entered the home by climbing up to an open second-floor window, Concord Police Captain Brian Goldman said.
The resident dialed 911, and the burglars ran off when they heard police responding. “We believe they were surprised the homeowner was home,” he said.
Nothing was taken in the early evening break-in.
The response
Flashing lights from police cars swarmed the neighborhood across from Arrowhead Farm and police issued an alert on its blog and social media pages about “an increased police presence” on Mattison Drive and Ayrshire Lane “due to an ongoing investigation.”
A Paul Revere Drive resident asked neighbors on Facebook what was going on when seven cop cars showed up on her street and she saw officers with K-9s in her backyard.
Goldman confirmed officers searched all three streets with dogs, combing the wooded neighborhood for the fleeing suspects.
He declined to identify the exact address or even the street name of the targeted home, noting the investigation and search are ongoing.
“We have solid leads on who might be involved,” Goldman said, noting information from law enforcement partners suggests the thieves are connected to a larger crime ring “targeting several communities.”
Goldman was tight-lipped on details about how far-reaching the organized break-in scheme might be, citing the ongoing investigation but said more details would emerge after arrests are made.
Theft rings in the news
Two high-profile busts of what authorities described as “sophisticated” organized theft rings have grabbed headlines this year in Massachusetts.
Middlesex County was ground zero for one scheme in which alleged thieves were charged in 43 burglaries and break-ins in 25 affluent towns across eastern Massachusetts that netted an estimated $4 million from 2028 to 2024.
District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office and state police claim the defendants are part of an organized burglary ring with ties to a violent Rhode Island gang based in Providence.
No Concord homes were known to be targeted, but homes in nearby Carlisle, Littleton, and Sudbury were hit.
In another, the ringleader of a years-long operation believed to be responsible for stealing catalytic converters from hundreds of vehicles in the Bay State and New Hampshire pleaded guilty to federal charges.
Police said they are still investigating why thieves chose the West Concord house.
“We believe it was random, and there’s nothing to make us think there is a continuing danger to the community,” Goldman said.
Still, he reminded people to secure their homes and valuables.
“Make sure your doors are locked, your cars are locked, and your windows are locked,” Goldman said.
“Securing your home can help to prevent people from breaking in. And that’s important not just for this incident but all the time.”
