(June 29,2009)

ORANGE GROVE--Over the last two weeks, law officers say there's been a rash of home burglaries in and around the small town of Orange Grove in Jim Wells County. There may be lot of reasons for the increase, but investigators say the economy is a big one.

There's been a 40 percent rise in the home burglaries in Jim Wells County this month. Most of the crimes have occurred in the Orange Grove area.

Guadalupe Castellanos has lived on the southside of Orange Grove for 40 years. For the first time last week, she became a victim of home burglary.

"I'm still upset because they don't take that much, just my jewelry box, but I don't have that much diamonds or anything like that," said Castellanos. 

Sheriff investigators showed us some of things they've recovered from the 32 home burglaries in a two week period in Jim Wells County. One happened in Alfred where four young children were inside the home at the time.

"The kids were smart enough to go to mom's bedroom and managed to see the suspect's rummaging through the house and through the bedroom," said Sgt. Johnny Perez of the Jim Wells County Sheriff's Department. 

They believe the criminals are local and they're using the same method each time they break into the homes.

"Honking and knocking on the door," Sgt. Perez said. "If there is no answer, they'll kick the door in and take jewelry, rifles and tvs."

Burglaries are 40 percent higher in June compared to last month

"Recession has a lot to do with it," said Sgt. Perez. "We do have that. Also drug addiction and people hard on their luck. Users who need cash to support their habit."

Sheriff officers are beefing up patrols in these neighborhoods with undercover officers and marked units. They're advising residents to be on the lookout for anything unusual happening in these areas."

Residents want these crimes to come to an end.

"I don't want something to happen to other people, but they said it wasn't only my house," Castellanos said. "They did about three houses all around here."

--Manuel De La Rosa, Area 3 News, mdelarosa@kiiitv.com