Neighbors worry after string of burglaries in NoDa

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Burglars are hitting the North Davidson area hard.

Eyewitness News counted six break-ins in that neighborhood since November began.  They happened within a few blocks of each other and mostly during the middle of the day.

Two cases happened on Charles Avenue, one on East 36th Street, one on East 37th Street, one on North Alexander Street and one on Anderson Street. Police said the cases could be related.

Vanessa Infanzon said someone threw a hammer through her backdoor windows.  Then, the burglar went through her family's medicines, probably looking for something "good," as she put it, but couldn't find anything.

So the thief left with the usual, electronics and jewelry, and the very unusual.

"They took the piggy banks,” Infanzon said.

The thief took all three of her children's ceramic piggy banks.

"It's pretty upsetting and my neighbor, who I never met before, he's brand new, walked through the house with me and I went through a series of emotions and he didn't know me at all and I felt bad him having witness all that, but it's pretty upsetting,” Infanzon said.

Neighbors worry, especially with the holidays coming up, which means new, expensive gifts lying around and people heading out of town.

"With Black Friday coming up, you really got to be very careful and keep your eyes open," Nora Gamble said.

"And we keep an eye on the neighborhood right here all the time," Renee Thompson said.

"When these neighbors go out of town, we're like family. We watch each other's houses,” said Melvin Williams.

They take it upon themselves to round up their neighbors' newspapers, mail and trash cans.

As for Infanzon, she invested in locks for her windows and new locks for her doors, the kind that require keys from the inside too.  She plans to buy three new piggy banks, one for each of her sons' rooms, before they notice they're missing.

Police have not made any arrests.

WSOC