Two of them were while the occupants were asleep.
The aggravated burglaries are cause for concern for police who say they are the desperate actions of criminals.
‘‘It’s pretty serious when you have two aggravated burglaries in a few days of each other,’’ Senior Constable Scott Newton of Echuca Criminal Investigation unit said.
‘‘It appears the East is being targeted.’’
Two homes that backed on to each other in Eyre and Hovell Sts were broken into between 10 pm last Wednesday, January 8, and 6 am the next day.
Thieves broke into the Eyre St property by smashing a back window while the elderly residents were asleep.
‘‘They’ve accessed the kitchen and stolen a set of car keys,’’ Snr Constable Newton said.
‘‘However, the car wasn’t stolen.
‘‘The occupants heard the break of a window but didn’t think anything of it until they woke up in the morning.’’
The thieves also smashed a window of the vacant Hovell St home.
‘‘The occupants are on holidays so we don’t know if anything was stolen,’’ Snr Constable Newton said.
Another aggravated burglary occurred in Sutton St between 3 am and 5 am on Sunday, January 12.
‘‘The offender has gained access through an open back door and stolen a wallet containing $250,’’ he said.
The 37-year-old male occupant was not woken.
Police are reviewing CCTV footage from a neighbour’s property that depicts the offender as a man with a skinny build, about 175 cm tall, wearing a grey hoodie with some kind of material over his face, dark track pants and black gloves.
Police are appealing for witnesses as part of their investigations.
‘‘Anyone who saw anything suspicious or has any information about the burglaries, we would ask them to come forward,’’ Snr Constable Newton said.
‘‘We are also advising residents to keep their houses locked. Don’t get complacent.’’
Anyone with information can contact Echuca police on 5483 1500 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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