By Erin Tiernan — Erin@concordbridge.org
Following three break-ins — including two in the past week targeting homes on Lowell Road — police warned Concordians to lock up to deter potential thieves.
Roughly $1,000 worth of jewelry was taken from an upper Lowell Road home in a burglary that was reported at noon on August 15, Concord Police Captain Brian Goldman said.
Would-be thieves were foiled on Sunday, August 18, in another attempted break-in: burglars triggered an alarm system and took off.
No one was at home in either incident, police said.
Triple threat
The Lowell Road robberies follow an August 8 burglary near Paul Revere Road that set off a neighborhood-wide manhunt for the perpetrators. The would-be thieves were scared off when the homeowner heard them sneaking in and dialed 911.
Police said the West Concord incident is “likely” connected to an organized theft ring targeting homes around New England.
“There’s no reason right now to think any of these break-ins are connected,” Goldman said on Monday.
But the rash of recent break-ins has Goldman pleading with homeowners to check their locks, secure windows, and stash valuables in safe locations. In each of the robberies, burglars gained entry or attempted to sneak into the homes through first- or second-floor windows, he said.
“Please, lock your doors but also your windows, your cars, your garages and also please call us if you see anything unusual,” he said.
Goldman said this latest trend of break-ins isn’t too unusual for late summer, but he called it a “warning” to Concordians to be more aware of thieves looking for an easy payday, he said.
Concord police have declined to provide the addresses of the houses involved in the recent break-ins, citing the open investigations, which shield some records from public scrutiny until charges are levied.
“We also want to keep it out of the news so that if a suspect ever provides information that we know wasn’t public, it can help us identify them because we know there’s no other way they’d have the address.”
The Concord Bridge has requested police reports for all three incidents.
Burglars still on the lam
As of Monday, police had made no arrests, and Goldman said leads are so far scant in the two most recent break-ins.
The earlier burglary appears to be tied to a larger theft ring that has hit houses across New England, Goldman said.
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 2018 to 2024.
No Concord homes were identified in the investigation.
Another resulted in a guilty plea from the ringleader of a group charged with stealing catalytic converters from hundreds of vehicles in the Bay State and New Hampshire pleaded guilty to federal charges.
Concord police encourage anyone with information about the break-ins or unusual activity to contact their crime tip line at (978) 318-3407.
