A Vernon man said sleep hasn’t come easy for his family since a stranger entered their home while they were sleeping earlier this month.
“Every bump in the night has us getting up and checking the whole house,” Justin Parr said.
A doorbell camera captured footage of a suspicious man around the home in the 2300 block of 39A Avenue, just before 5 a.m. on Feb. 16.
Parr said the man entered the home through an unlocked back door. One of his two teenage sons must have forgot to lock it, he said.
Parr’s wife, sons and daughter were sleeping in the home at this time and Parr was away on business.
The man was captured on camera again as he left the home around 6 a.m.
Parr said his wife’s purse, house keys, a new high-end vacuum cleaner and other small items were stolen.
“He even took the time to stop and eat food from our fridge,” Parr said.
When Parr returned the next day, he immediately took measures to increase the home’s security.
While on a drive later that day, he received a notification from the doorbell camera. The man had returned.
“He banged on the front door super loud,” Parr said.
“When he heard our small dog start to bark and my 25-year-old daughter yell at dog, he bolted.”
Parr said stolen credit and debit cards were reportedly used at a nearby convenience store. Police reviewed the security tape and Parr said a woman was caught on camera, hiding her face from view.
Both incidents were reported to police, Parr said, and statements were taken.
Vernon North Okanagan RCMP confirmed the reports and reminded residents to conduct the “9 p.m. check.”
“Ensure all items are taken out of vehicles, as well as all the house doors and windows are locked prior to going to bed,” RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Tania Finn said.
The incident at the Parr’s home is still under investigation.
Parr said additional patrols were noticed around the neighbourhood following his reports, but he is still worried for his family’s safety.
“My family is scared that this person will come back again,” he said.
“It’s not even the material possessions so much as it is the invasion of privacy. With my family sleeping in their beds, he could have easily entered any bedroom and this could have been a much worse situation.”
His doorbell video footage has since been shared to several Facebook groups in efforts to identify the man.
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