Police Investigating Pair of Christmas Burglaries

Two homes were burglarized between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the 400 block of Torner Road in Essex, police said.

According to Baltimore County police reports, the first burglary occurred around midnight on Christmas Eve. In that incident, a 56-year-old woman arrived home to find her alarm system had been tampered with and someone had stolen a safe, which held documents and about $4,000 in cash. About an hour later, a neighbor discovered the safe in his yard open and empty, police said.

The second incident, according to police reports, occurred between noon and 5 p.m. on Dec. 25.

In that case, a PlayStation 3, various DVDs and video games, a wallet, purse and a blender were reported stolen from the home as the victims visited relatives on Christmas.

Police said it’s unclear if the two incidents are related. But the first victim told police the home has been burglarized three times since the end of November.

The second victim told police he believed the thief to be someone familiar, as their dogs would not react well to strangers.