Chennai: A masked man has been on a house break-in spree at Krishna Garden in Kundrathur for the past few weeks. The suspect, who is reportedly armed with a rod, managed to break into at least eight houses over the past few weeks, stealing cash and valuables from residents.
According to police, the suspect appears to be familiar with the routine of the residents, as he has been targeting homes when the residents are away on weekend trips. Most recently he broke into Murugan's house on Saturday. Wearing a mask and armed with a rod, he stole 1 lakh in cash. Murugan's home remained locked for a week.
Later on the same day, the man broke into house belonging to a man named Upendra, stealing 50,000 in cash. In the subsequent break-ins, the thief targeted houses that were either vacant or yielded no significant valuables. Police have confirmed that the total number of break-ins in the area has reached eight so far.
The Kundrathur police have registered a case and are investigating the involvement of a possible repeat offender. Police said the burglar's choice of timing, when residents are away, suggests that he may have been monitoring the neighbourhood's patterns.
Police are scanning CCTV footage in the neighbourhood and have also increased patrols in the area.