Police believe burglaries at Asian American homes might be linked

*A screenshot from a police video shows burglary suspects on Holly Berry Court in Annandale.*

Fairfax County Police are investigating eight residential burglaries that targeted Asian Americans, most of whom are local business owners.

One of the burglaries, on Jan. 12, occurred on the 3200 block of Holly Berry Court in Annandale. When the victim returned home, she noticed her jewelry was missing. There were no signs of forced entry. Surveillance footage shows suspects by the house before the burglary.

In all eight cases, suspects forced entry into the homes and stole safes, cash, jewelry, designer handbags, and/or clothing.

The other burglaries took place at these locations:

Jan. 15, Roxbury Court in Woodlawn, $7,000 in cash plus other items stolen;
Feb. 6, School Street in Jefferson Manor, Alexandria – a safe and $40,000 worth of jewelry;
Feb. 12, Fort Drive in Fair Haven, Alexandria – a safe containing $7,500 worth of jewelry and $6,000 in cash.
Feb. 17, Graham Road in Falls Church – handbags, $80,000 worth of jewelry, and $100,000 in cash.
Feb. 19, Kerrigan Lane, Fair Oaks – jewelry, handbags, and cash valued at over $10,000.
Feb. 20, Evans Mill Road, McLean – jewelry, cash, gold bars, and clothing valued at $100,000.
Feb. 21, Northwyck Court, McLean – jewelry valued at $50,000.

Detectives with the Criminal Investigations Division are working to determine whether these cases are connected.

In most cases, the suspects target master bedrooms, remove safes, and in some instances, disconnect Wi-Fi or other electronics to avoid detection. Detectives believe the suspects conduct surveillance to determine their targets.

The police urge residents to take these steps to prevent burglaries:

Install and maintain security cameras covering entry points and driveways. Ensure the cameras are properly positioned, functioning, and footage is accessible if needed for investigation.

Secure safes properly. Choose a high-quality safe that is bolted to the floor or wall to make it difficult to remove.

Upgrade exterior lighting and install motion-activated lighting around doors, garages, and rear access points.

Reinforce doors and windows. Use solid-core or metal doors, high-quality deadbolts, and consider security film or reinforced locks for vulnerable windows.