A Stockton family is grappling with fear and uncertainty after their home was burglarized just minutes after they left on Monday evening. The family, who spoke with ABC10 on the condition of anonymity, shared their harrowing experience.
“This is very traumatizing, and now our family, we don’t even want to step out of the house anymore,” a family member said.
The burglary occurred shortly after the family’s mother left the house with her children to pick up another family member from work. While making a stop on the way back, they received a notification from their doorbell camera showing masked men with guns breaking into their home.
“We didn’t know what to do when we saw that,” the family member said. “We have two little kids living in our home. We called the cops, and they told us not to go home.”
Stockton Police Department officers responded to the call just before 8:30 p.m. Officer David Scott, a spokesperson for the department, said officers set up a perimeter, initially believing the suspects might still be inside the house and armed. However, they discovered the suspects had fled before their arrival.
The family returned to find their home in disarray. “Everything was just all messy, the window was broken, there was glass everywhere,” the family member described. The burglars had taken purses, jewelry, and a wedding ring, leaving the family shaken but physically unharmed.
The family, however, remains deeply affected by the ordeal. “My sister doesn’t even want to go in the garage,” the family member said. “She’s scared. What if they come back?”
The Stockton Police Department reports that the suspects include four to five individuals, with at least a couple of them armed. The suspects fled in an older model black sedan. Three of them were caught on camera, and police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
Those with details about the burglary are encouraged to contact the Stockton Police Department. The family hopes for justice and that speaking out will help prevent similar incidents in the community.
