String of break-ins reported in Lady’s Island communities Sunday

Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a string of break-ins on Lady’s Island that appear to be connected.

Seven Sheriff’s Office reports show five home break-ins and one entered vehicle in the Newpoint community as well as one home broken into in neighboring Bluff Farm community. The incidents were reported on Sunday from Waterside Drive, Fraser Street, Newpoint Road, Hayek Street, Prescient Avenue and Planters Circle, the reports said. The break-ins occurred over the course of Saturday night and Sunday morning.

The break-ins are believed to be connected and are being investigated together, Sheriff’s Office Capt. Bob Bromage said Monday.

The thief or thieves smashed windows in back or side doors at five of the homes, according to the reports. The vehicle and one of the homes were left unlocked. Master bedrooms appear to have been targeted, and multiple mattresses were flipped; TVs and other electronics from first-floor living spaces didn’t appear to have been disturbed.

Several of the victims were out of town and could not confirm over the phone whether anything had been stolen, according to the reports. One $400 revolver was stolen from one of the homes, and over $6,000 worth of jewelry and silver dollar coins were stolen from the unlocked home. An empty gun case was also opened and moved by the thieves, but a gun was not stolen from that house, according to the report.

One Newpoint homeowner had video surveillance that showed someone breaking into his home’s back door shortly before 4:30 a.m., according to a report. Images from the video were turned in to the Sheriff’s Office, but the homeowner said he couldn’t determine the race or gender of the intruder, who was wearing white clothing.

This story was originally published July 10, 2017 at 2:58 PM with the headline "String of break-ins reported in Lady’s Island communities Sunday."