Neighbors stop burglary in progress
Neighbors helped to prevent a rip off. It happened off of Crawford Street in the south part of town. Police said it’s thanks to witnesses they were able to catch the wanna-be thief.
Eighteen-year-old Samuel Herrera was arrested for the incident on Friday.
He told police he was drunk and looking for a place to stay.
It happened in a community that those who live there said isn’t as bad as it looks.
“We have a stigma; it’s the projects, it’s a bad neighborhood, but it’s just like a regular neighborhood,” said Mary-Jo Panion.
Police admit that neighbors help each other and help keep crime down. Friday night, neighbors called police when they saw a man trying to steal a stereo.
“I feel that it is important that neighbors watch out for their neighbors. In this incident it proved to work,” said Shelly Taylor, crime prevention officer.
It didn’t come as a surprise to Mary-Jo Panion, who lives off of Crawford Street.
“We are like a community. We help each other out,” said Panion.
A year and a half ago, she found herself being a victim.
“I could just feel the house vibrate. I knew that lock was going to bust anytime. I didn’t know whether to run out, grab my daughter or what to do,” said Panion.
An intruder was trying to get into her home through the back door. Neighbors stepped in and scared the intruder off.
There is also a neighborhood watch sign.
“I don’t work with an official neighborhood watch in that area. They are doing what we tell people to do when they have a neighborhood watch,” said Taylor.
