By Austin Kinghorn Baytown Sun

Published November 01, 2005

A fourth home burglary in the span of a week has heightened the uneasiness over an upswing in crime in the Meadowlake Village subdivision.

The latest incident occurred on Friday when a resident on Breda Drive returned home around 6:30 p.m. Friday to find someone broke into their home through a window and stole several pieces of jewelry.

Sheila Crianza, president of the neighborhoood’s homeowners association, said she was organizing a meeting for the board to vote on hiring additional security to patrol the neighborhood. The subdivision already pays off-duty Harris County Sheriff’s deputies to keep and eye on the neighborhood, which Crianza described as traditionally safe.

“As a rule we very rarely have any problems out here,” Crianza said. “Our crime rate is very, very low, maybe because we keep off duty sheriff out here.”

Crianza said the off-duty officers work the neighborhood on staggered and ever-changing schedules so as to preserve the element of surprise.

A marquee at the entrance of the neighborhood on Monday warned residents that burglaries were up and reminded them to lock their doors.

Friday’s incident was the second for that particular street in the neighborhood. Last Thursday, a man reportedly tried to kick in the front door of a home on Breda Drive before he was scared away by the homeowner. In a separate incident the same day on Pawnee Street, a woman came home to find her front door wide open and jewelry taken from her house.

In the most serious incident to date, Manuel Barba, 74, was assaulted during a home invasion Monday on Shoshone Drive. Barba's grandson discovered him unconscious when he came home and rushed him to San Jacinto Methodist Hospital.

Sgt. Dana Wolfe, a spokesman for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said she did not know if the crimes were connected. Barba has reportedly been able to provide information to investigators but has given conflicting statements. The resident who was home when a forced entry was attempted caught a glimpse of the perpetrator, but police said not enough specific information was given to make a description public. There were no witnesses of the two burglaries.

“If it’s someone they don’ t know and they’re trying to force entry into the home, call 911 and if you feel you can get away, take another exit out,” Wolfe said.