Port St. Lucie police are investigating three suspicious incidents over the weekend that left two homes vandalized.
Police believe a group of men vandalized two homes within a mile of each other to see if anyone was home.
Residents of a third home, also within a mile of the other homes, reported suspicious activity when someone rang the doorbell, the resident opened the door, and a man took off in a car with three other men.
Lois Blackhurst, 84, says she was in her bed Friday night when she heard men talking outside her home. Then, she said the doorbell rang. By the time she got to the door, the men were gone from her front porch. But, then she says a concrete brick came crashing through her front window.
"I thought, why me?… I feel like they were going to rob [me]," Blackhurst said.
Another resident experienced something similar. He said he was also in bed when someone rang the doorbell, but he didn't answer. Moments later, a piece of concrete came crashing through his window.
Police aren't exactly sure what they were doing, but have their assumptions.
"They wanted to see if anybody was home, threw the brick through the window to see if they get a response and maybe come back later," said Master Sgt. Frank Sabol with the Port St. Lucie Police Department.
Nearby resident, Terry Feddema, says she's on guard.
"I'm very uncomfortable, especially at night now. And, I have a daughter to think about," Feddema said.
"One neighbor said we need to get together and have a watch of some kind," Blackhurst said.
Police say all of the homes impacted by the vandals had their outside lights off, making it appear as if no one was home. Sabol says people should leave an outside light on.
If you're going out of town for the holidays, Sabol says you can buy a timer for your outside lights to go on and off, so potential thieves do not assume you left your lights on while out of town.
Sabol says you should also let your neighbors know if you're leaving town so they can report suspicious activity.
