For the second time in two months, police in Mediapolis, Iowa say cars and garages were burglarized in the latest rash of such crimes reported there.
Someone spotted a "suspicious person sneaking around a neighbor's home" in the Southwind area just after 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 13, 2014 according to a statement from the Des Moines County Sheriff's Office.
The witness watched for several minutes, then yelled at the suspect who then ran away.
The Des Moines County Sheriff says the suspect has been seen wearing a light color hoodie with a ski mask and is about 5'8 in height.
Later that morning, deputies investigated five car burglaries and two garage burglaries that apparently happened in that area during the overnight hours.
Several similar crimes were reported in March 2014, in which purses, wallets, debit cards, checkbooks, cash and other items were reported stolen. Police did not indicate whether the incidents were possibly connected.
The sheriff's department is asking the community to call in when they see something suspicious. Over the last three months there have been five different occasions where the person has been seen in action and has not been reported.