Woman Interrupts Armed Burglars: What to Do if it Happens to You

Urbandale police say they’re connecting dots to see how many home burglaries they can clear with the arrest of two Des Moines men last week.

Leonel Najarro-Zamora, 21, and Eduardo Ontiveros, 20, both of Des Moines, were each charged with  first-degree burglary and first-degree robbery in connection with a July 10 home burglary interrupted by a homeowner in the 700 block of Roseland Drive.

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• Police Make Arrests after Homeowner Allegedly Robbed at Gunpoint

Urbandale police spokesman Randy Peterson said authorities are investigating a spike in home burglaries since the last week in June. The number, he said, is “pushing close to a dozen.” Des Moines police resulted similar activity, Peterson said.

He praised Neighborhood Watch groups and residents for doing a good job spreading the word that homes that are not occupied during the day are vulnerable and reminding neighbors to lock their garage doors.

Typically, the suspects knocked at doors or rang the doorbell to see if the homeowner was home. If someone answered, the pattern was to offer an excuse about being at the wrong house or other flimsy explanations, Peterson said.

“If someone knocks on the door and you don’t know who they are, call us,” Peterson said. “In the daytime, they’re looking to see if anyone is home. It’s pretty rare that someone’s at the wrong door.

“We need that tip,” he said. “That might be a good suspect for us to investigate.”

In the July 10 burglary, the homeowner was gone for a short period of time and returned home, interrupting the burglars.

“She arrived back home and observed the vehicle in the driveway and the door open,” Peterson said. “Before she could react, one of the guys came out, displayed a handgun, demanded her phone and yelled to the other guy, ‘Let’s go.’”

The woman responded correctly by turning over her cell phone. When the suspects left, she called 911 as quickly as she could. Her description of the men led to their arrest.

“You really don’t want to confront them,” Peterson said. “These guys had a gun.”

What should you do?

“Pull into a neighbor’s house, immediately call 911, stay on the phone with the dispatcher and give a many details – license plate number, what kind of vehicle, what the suspects are wearing, whether they have guns – as possible,” he said. “The more information, the better.”

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