CANTON, Ohio — Canton homeowners living in the Arlington Avenue S.W. neighborhood said they have been living in fear for several months after a series of car and home break-ins.
Residents who didn't want to be identified, because they were concerned about their safety, told News 5 they have been sharing home surveillance video of alleged suspects with each other and Canton police in an effort to officiate an arrest in the case.
“In this video here’s the guy that stole my wallet out of my purse, you can see the wallet in his hands, he looks right at the camera, he doesn’t care, they keep coming back, they came back three days later," said one homeowner who didn't want to be identified. “My credit cards and my gift cards and everything else were in my wallet and they stole my whole wallet and all my money out of my purse.”
A second homeowner, who also wished to remain anonymous, told News 5 he believes the video confirms it's the same group of teens who have been breaking into homes and cars, including vehicles that are parked in the Aultman Hospital parking lot across the street.
"To a lot of people it’s terrifying, you have people who want to move out of their homes, you have people who can’t sleep at night, they’re up until 5, 6 in the morning, then they have to go to work tired," said a second anonymous homeowner. “It’s kind of terrifying because the people who are doing it they know your routine, they know when you go to work, it’s getting to the point where what do you do.”
Canton Police Chief John Gabbard responded quickly to News 5 issuing the following statement:
"We take all community concerns seriously. The area described has not had many theft or burglary reports over the past year, but we have responded to the resident concerns and our officers have increased patrols and checks in the area. In addition, we have responded to calls about suspicious individuals, but have not observed the activity described. We will continue to collaborate with the neighbors and the Aultman Hospital security team to improve the safety of the neighborhood."
Meanwhile, homeowners in the neighborhood who contacted News 5 are hoping Canton police will deploy relatively new portable surveillance camera equipment into their community to deter would-be burglars and help investigators make an arrest.
“We are very scared for our lives, this is very scary to deal with, how am I supposed to sleep when I feel they’re going to come into my house next," said one anonymous homeowner. "I’ve been a prisoner in my home since this has started because I’m afraid to leave my house or they’re going to break in.”
Anyone with information about this case is being asked to contact Canton police at 330-649-5800.
News 5 will follow through on this developing story.
