Montgomery County woman's home burglarized while she slept; suspect sought by police

COLLEGEVILLE, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A Montgomery County woman woke up Thursday morning to find her front door wide open and some of her belongings stolen.

Now, police say her Collegeville home was one of two hit by burglars within hours.

A normally quiet street blocks away from Ursinus College is now at the center of a home invasion-style burglary.

"It kind of makes me uncomfortable that it's that close to the school we go to and it's two girls walking alone at night, too," said Kira Norling, a sophomore at Ursinus College.

"I feel like people need to be aware that this is going on," said Corrine Martello, another sophomore at Ursinus College.

The burglary happened overnight Thursday on 7th and Chestnut streets in Collegeville.

A woman sleeping in her home woke up to find that someone gained access through a window and stole cash, credit cards, lawn equipment, and gasoline from the victim's generator.

"They stole a hose from one of the residents and it was used in both burglaries to siphon gas from two vehicles," said Officer Andrew Sohl with Collegeville police.

Collegeville police say it's unusual for something like this to happen in the area, but no community is immune to crime.

"We always recommend that people close and lock their first-floor windows at night. Lock their cars, don't leave valuables in the car, especially visible," said Sohl.

As investigators process DNA from the home, they're urging people to check their surveillance cameras to see if they can help them track down the burglars.

Police say they've stepped up patrols in that neighborhood and will be keeping an eye out for suspicious activity.