07/27/2008

People who live in the "Houston Farms" neighborhood told Eyewitness News it's generally quiet without much crime. The neighbors know one another and look out for each other.

But in this case, the criminals acted so quickly, no one saw anything. Except, when the homeowner came home and caught them in the act!

A torn up door frame showed how the criminals acted boldly.

"The deadbolt was on and the door was like this when we got home, but it was just kicked open," said victim Tina Boyer.

Boyer didn't leave home for long Sunday morning and was shocked at what she pulled up.

"One of them came out of the house with a gun, pointed it at me saying, 'Get back in the car, get back in the car!' So I just got back in the car," said Boyer.

What shocked her even more is how and when they did it. "It was pretty brazen. Broad daylight, 10:30 on a Sunday morning, and they just pulled the car right in the driveway."

According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's crime statistics, this break-in makes at least four home burglaries in the last six months within a half-mile of Boyer's home.

In this case, the thieves made off with thousands of dollars worth of stuff. But despite what she lost, Boyer's grateful they didn't take more.

"Thankfully nobody got hurt. All the animals are okay, and we're all okay."

One thing Boyer said, is a lesson in all this, she wishes she had kept a better record of her valuables. She'll be spending the next few days documenting the items she has left.

One of the things new Charlotte-Mecklenburg police chief Rodney Monroe has talked about is getting more officers on the street in communities such as in the University area.

The suspects got away in a gold-colored car. The victim believes it was a Chevy Cobalt. If you know anything call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.