Police say several burglary cases in Madison County are linked to heroin.
Two men are charged with three residential burglaries over the last two months. John T. Hitch, 26, of Collinsville and Christopher J. Bugg, 21, of Caseyville each face three felony charges.
According to police, the men broke into homes and stole televisions, electronics, firearms and jewelry. Several items were recovered, including firearms and a flat-screen television, police said. The burglaries took place along Troy-O'Fallon Road, Lebanon Road and West Millcreek, all in Troy.
"As is the case with many of the recent residential burglary investigations conducted by the Madison County Sheriff's Office, heroin has been identified as the driving force behind the offenses," said Capt. Mike Dixon.
Dixon said these kinds of home-invasion burglaries are on the rise. "We have just been inundated with these burglaries," he said. "We can solve them, but oftentimes the items are already gone ... it doesn't get people their belongings back."
Dixon said the burglars are targeting people in rural areas, and recommends residents get an alarm system and stay in contact with neighbors. "These burglars have the exact same method of operations: they go to doors, knock on the door, and if no one's home they force entry," he said.
He said if unknown people knock on your door looking for people who don't live there, or say they're looking for jobs, people should write down the license plate numbers and give descriptions to the police.
"These are not professionals; they don't case the homes," Dixon said. "Usually how we end up catching them is ... when a neighbor calls. The more people who do this, the more crime we'll be able to deter."
Copyright 2011 - Belleville News-Democrat, Ill.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
