Franklin Police on the hunt for a man who broke into a home this afternoon, while a little boy and his grandmother were inside.
At 4:02 pm, officers were summoned to the 3000 block of Liberty Hills Drive after a call came in from a little boy saying that someone was breaking into his house. After knocking on the front door and not getting an answer, the suspect walked around the back of the house and broke in. The child hid and called his mother, who then called police. The boy’s disabled grandmother lay helplessly in bed while the intruder was inside. When the suspect realized that the home was occupied, he fled. Neither the little boy nor his grandmother were injured during the burglary.
Police are seeking a red-headed white male with a buzz-style haircut and beard, driving an older style red 4-door Jeep-type vehicle. The man’s hair is described as distinctly orange.
During a canvas of the neighborhood, officers met a man who reported challenging this same suspect after watching him try to open the gate into his back yard. The suspect quickly left the man’s yard, just prior to breaking into this home.
Liberty Hills area residents who have home surveillance systems may unknowingly have video that will help in this case. If you live in or near Liberty Hills, you are urged to thoroughly review home surveillance footage from this afternoon (Thursday) for anyone fitting this description, or anything else suspicious.
Here are a few tips that will help safeguard your home and family:
Most burglars want to avoid encountering anyone at home. Keeping a car in your driveway may discourage a burglar from even approaching.
If you hear someone knock at your door, don’t pretend that you are not at home. Ask who it is through the closed door. If it is a stranger, do not open the door; continue your conversation from behind a locked door. Most burglars will simply move on to another target once they realize someone is home.
If you have a home security system, use it. Setting the alarm, even when you’re home, provides an extra level of security from an intruder.
Parents: If you allow your children to be at home alone, evaluate how necessary and how safe that practice actually is. If you allow children to be alone at home, review these tips with them and teach them how to get out of the house, or hide and call for help if they find themselves in the middle of a break-in or other unanticipated emergency.
Information in this case is worth up to $1,000 with one simple, anonymous call to Crime Stoppers: (615) 794-4000.
