Homeowner’s surveillance video captures thief stealing $50K in jewelry, electronics

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A string of burglaries in a DeKalb County neighborhood has left some residents on edge with the thieves still out there.

Residents in the Woodland Hills community say they believe their neighborhood is being targeted with at least five burglaries reported over the last few weeks.

Surveillance video gave a glimpse of a thief in action.

"It’s a quiet neighborhood. It feels like a safe neighborhood…I didn’t think that would happen in this neighborhood—ever," one homeowner told FOX 5.

That homeowner, who did not want to be identified, recalled the unsettling sight of a man in a ski mask standing in his living room early Sunday morning.

"I was out of town and I had a notification on my camera that I have inside that there was activity detected at my house at 1:44 a.m.," he said.

The homeowner told FOX 5 the man seen in the video left his home with some electronics and around $50,000 worth of jewelry after entering through the back door.

"The family heirlooms were really the most important and kind of the most emotionally damaging," he said.

It wasn’t long before he realized his home wasn’t the only one that burglars visited in recent weeks.

Just three days prior, another neighbor told FOX 5 his family came home from vacation to find damage to their back door and items missing.

"It happened earlier this week. We were out of town for more than a week…some jewelry and small items, I think, are mostly the targets in this case," he explained.

That homeowner said they believe the thieves may have caused the home and struck while they were away.

"Talking with my neighbors, we‘ve all been in that situation where all the homes were empty at least three or four days before the burglary happened," the resident said.

While they’re hoping someone will recognize the person seen here, they’re urging other homeowners to plan carefully before heading out of town.

"Just being mindful if you’re out of town for a long period of time, think about having someone check up on your house," he added.

DeKalb police say the investigation is ongoing. The homeowners are offering a reward for information that leads to the return of those family heirlooms.

If you have any information, you can send an email to WoodlandHillsTipLine@gmail.com.