String of home burglaries in Ocoee

OCOEE, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Ocoee Police are warning residents in the northern part of the city about a string of recent break-ins -- seven homes in two weeks time, mostly in gated communities. 

Colin Murphy says he was asleep Friday night when a loud noise had him jumping out of bed. 

“I just was absolutely terrified.  And we have cats I thought it was the cats playing,” said Murphy. 

He says he turned the lights and started walking downstairs, the noise stopped, so he went back to bed. 

“I went down the next morning and my back screen door was wide open pushed open and locked and the sliding door was ripped off [the tracks],” said Murphy.  

Deputy Police Chief Stephen McCosker says seven incidents, just like Murphy described happened between June 1 and June 14 in the Wentworth, Prarie Lake and Prarie Lake Reserve neighborhoods. 

“What’s concerning us is the time of day they’re targeting is night time. Someone is going to be home. It’s going to be an occupied burglary," aid Deputy Chief McCosker, specifying that these burglars are striking between 7 p.m. to  midnight.  "You’re going to have a chance of confrontation between burglary offender and homeowner and that’s not a good situation,” s

Investigators say they’re beefing up patrols in the north part of the city , and they’re asking folks if they see someone they don’t recognize walking behind their homes, to call 911.