233050

Penticton  

Awoke to intruder in home

A Penticton woman went out and bought a baseball bat today, and not to brush up on her game.

She feels the need to have extra protection in her home, following a terrifying incident overnight Wednesday during which an intruder came into her home and stole her purse.

The woman is taking painkillers following a surgery, and said she took one around 7 p.m and fell asleep on her couch, inadvertently neglecting to lock her back door.

"I got woken up at 3 a.m. because I heard something, I heard the jingle of my purse, and then I saw someone bolt out my back door," she said. 

"I live alone, so that was super creepy, did they come in here and stare at me while I was sleeping, then take my stuff and leave?"

Shaken, she called the police, who checked out her neighbourhood, which is around the Penticton Library, and took a statement. 

"I was half asleep so I didn't get a good look at this person, so I couldn't really give much of a description, so I felt a bit useless," she said. "But they said 'ma'am, you had an intruder in your house, this is definitely an issue for 911.'"

She said she has since heard from a few friends about similar incidents of attempted forced entries and trespassing in the area. The Penticton community Facebook group also has an active thread discussing an alleged break-in nearby. 

RCMP Supt. Ted De Jager said the file remains under investigation, and said he wants to remind the public that doors and windows need to be secured.

"At this time of year it is tempting to leave your windows open, but please ensure they are locked when you leave and closed far enough to prevent anyone from slipping through when you are home," De Jager said. 

Lucky for the woman, her wallet wasn't in the purse that was nabbed, saving her the pain of replacing IDs and cards. However, the incident was still harrowing, "it scared the crap out of me."



More Penticton News



232391