Burglar poses as religious devotee

PINE PLAINS — “Do you want to talk about Jesus?”That was how a Pine Plains couple was approached by the man who allegedly just burgled their rural home. The pair, who requested to remain unnamed, said they knew something was amiss when they approached their driveway on Tuesday, Nov. 15. They could view their driveway from afar, and saw a white sedan parked there. “We were already concerned about who was on the property,” said the wife, adding the car had a North Carolina license plate. She described the man as being between 20 and 30 years old, with light brown hair and eyes, about 6 feet tall, with a medium build.“A nice looking guy,” she said. “He didn’t look in desperate straits or like he needed money. He was reasonably well spoken.“We assumed that maybe he was just a Jehovah’s Witness or something, although they usually do not come alone,” she said. “Then, when we got into the house, we noticed that the door was unlocked, when we had left it locked. Then I noticed a couple of things were out of place.”Items taken included a gold bracelet, a jade pendant on a gold chain and a telephoto lens to a camera. The pair said the thief was just in the midst of dismantling their telescope when their arrival interrupted him. While the suspect was walking away from the barn next to the house when the couple arrived, he had apparently just been inside of it. That was where the telescope was located. After a brief walk-through, the homeowners could also see that the lock on the barn’s sliding glass doors had been forced open.When they searched the main residence, there was also evidence the burglar had been inside there. Not only had a window been tampered with, but items had been moved about and were out of place.“I noticed doors that we left open were closed,” she said. “And he went through virtually every drawer in the house, although he didn’t leave things in a huge mess.”The couple agreed they were lucky the suspect left when they arrived.“It could have been much more dangerous,” said the wife. “If he confronted us, it might have been much worse.”That’s why law enforcement warns residents not to approach anyone they may find on their property, and to immediately call 911.“Don’t confront anyone — you don’t know what their state of mind might be or what weapons they might have,” said Pine Plains Officer in Charge Mike Lawson. Other rules to follow if someone suspects their home has been burgled: don’t touch anything at the scene, don’t enter the residence, retreat to a safe area and call 911 immediately.“The less you touch before a police agency gets there, the better,” Lawson said. In addition to the Nov. 15 burglary, there have been reports of other similar crimes. The object of those home invasions has primarily been cash. According to the Pine Plains couple, they don’t make a habit of keeping cash in the house. Still, they say, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, which responded to the burglary, said there’s a strong likelihood the rash of crimes in the region are connected.“Always secure your place and don’t give anyone an open invitation,” Lawson said, adding that many Harlem Valley residents like to believe their neighborhoods are safe, and that they can leave their homes and cars unlocked. That was not the case in this situation, and still the rural homestead was broken into. “Of course if someone wants to get in they’ll get in. They don’t care about damage. There’s always an alternative motive with burglary, whether it’s drug addiction or financial motivation.”If anyone has information about this crime, or any others in the region, call the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office at 845-486-3800.