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SAN BENITO -- Neighbors can make a big difference in whether a burglary can be solved or not, according to San Benito Police.
Lieutenant Martin Morales said they receive hundreds of burglary cases each year, but that many end up unsolved because of a lack of leads.
"If you don’t have witnesses, fingerprints, and serial number to go by at a pawn shop, our leads dwindle," Morales said.
One of the main reasons for that, he said, is that neighbors are afraid or unwilling to speak out about what they saw.
"People will actually see a burglary taking place and they wont call it in," he said.
But along the 800 block of Colorado Avenue in San Benito, Claudia Villarreal, a recent burglary victim, said her own neighbors might be the ones responsible.
"They know what they were coming in for because none of the kids stuff is gone, none of the other stuff is gone,” she said. “Last time they stole my jewelry so they couldn't steal any of that this time," Villarreal said.
Her house has been broken into twice in a little more than a year. She said she feels frustrated with San Benito Police, because, according to her, they are not doing anything about it.
But Morales said the case is still under investigation and that they are looking into all the leads. But he added that neighbors can also be of great assistance.
"We need help, just like they do,” Morales said. “We can’t do everything by ourselves; they need to be our eyes and ears for us," he adds.
Morales also said that one of the ways to avoid becoming a victim is to secure your belongings and mark them in case they are stolen. This way, they can be easily identified if recovered. Another tip, he said is starting a neighborhood watch.
