Burglaries that do not need great planning, nor great means to carry them out, because they are quick and fleeting."They are inside the house for five minutes and steal whatever they can get their hands on," commented the lieutenant of the Civil Guard, Juan Carlos La Fuente, to define the "modus operandi" or way of acting of the thieves who attack private homes "regularly" throughout the year. Although, according to him, "we cannot talk about organized gangs," it does seem that they watch the house "because they know when there is no one inside." The lieutenant downplays these cases because he considers that the number of complaints, in recent months, is not out of the ordinary. "It is nothing remarkable, it is something that happens in all Spanish towns," explains La Fuente, who does not want to talk about specific data but assures that "every month we arrest an average of ten people for these crimes throughout the island."
More cases occur in summer, according to the sergeant of the Local Police of Tías, Francisco Hernández, "because citizens are a little more absent-minded and we leave a window open." That is why the National Police, usually at this time, runs a campaign warning citizens about the possible risks of leaving the house alone during the holidays. The recommendations, which include leaving a light on in the house, try to raise awareness among citizens when taking security precautions to avoid robberies.
In addition, the sergeant has also highlighted that "in recent times there has been an increase in robberies in commercial premises in the early hours of the morning."
The profile of the thief
Regarding the profile of the latest thieves arrested for trespassing in the municipality of Teguise, the security councilor, Rita Hernández, explains that they are "men over 35 years of age, usually from the Canary Islands, from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Lanzarote, although there are also foreigners." La Villa, Nazaret, Tahiche and Costa Teguise have been the places where complaints have been filed in the municipality of Teguise in the last two months. According to the data handled by Hernández, the criminals are all repeat offenders and therefore known to the security forces. "They are the typical ones who spend some time in jail and when they get out they commit crimes again," commented the councilor, coinciding with the version of the security forces. The problem, according to Rita Hernández, "is that these common thieves do not spend long periods in prison, so once they leave prison they commit crimes again."
The fear of the victims
They always act when the tenants of the house are not at home, which makes the security forces think that they have a planned system of surveillance of the houses. Teresa, one of the latest victims in Costa Teguise, also has that same perception. "I have the impression that they are watching my whole street," said Teresa, "because it had only been a few days since my dog had died, when they decided to enter my house." She confesses to having "a certain feeling of insecurity" now that it has happened to her. In her case, when she arrived home, after the working day, they found the whole house "upside down." The thieves had forced a small window of the house and "had moved the furniture, emptying all the clothes and distributing the belongings on the floor."
Now she confesses to being afraid at night to the point of not being able to sleep well. "When I enter my house, I no longer feel comfortable. I feel like they have taken away my privacy. It is very hard to get to your house and see even your underwear thrown on the floor," she explains. However, the worst thing is the fear, "especially thinking about my children." For this reason, Teresa has already hired a security system. "I won't sleep peacefully until the alarm is connected." And if that doesn't work, she will have a dog again "and whatever it takes."
The thieves, in these cases, look for cash and jewelry, which is what they took from Teresa's house. "They were only looking for that, because they didn't even take the television," explained the affected woman. In the short space of time they have from when they break the window or force the door until they leave, this type of common criminals only look for what they can sell on the black market more quickly. A black market in which, in less than two or three days, they will sell all these objects stolen from private homes, according to police forces. The amounts stolen are not usually very large, although it depends on the money they find in the house and the value of the tenants' jewelry. "Jewels have more sentimental value than anything else," declared Teresa when asked about the amount of her losses in the robbery. Rings, bracelets, watches and earrings are the feast that the thieves find in these houses, and in the fewest number of times, cash.
María José Docal, the latest victim
One of the latest victims of this type of robbery in private homes has been María José Docal, councilor of the Cabildo de Lanzarote for the Party of Independents of Lanzarote. "I still lived with the peace of mind that these things did not happen in Las Caletas," lamented Docal, who explains that it was the first time that something like this had happened to her. Like many other people on the island, María José Docal did not have an alarm in her house because in the Las Caletas neighborhood, where she lives, "we did not know anyone to whom it had happened."
For this reason, when last Friday, June 8, around 6:30 p.m., she and her family entered the house, they discovered "frightened" how the thieves had left the house. "Everything was messed up, they took out all the drawers, they took everything out of the closet," related a Maria José Docal who was amazed.
They had entered through the back, breaking the kitchen window, and it had been in broad daylight. "No neighbor saw anything," she assures. The losses have been important. "Although they did not find money, they took all the jewelry, which has great emotional value," she related. From now on, she says she feels more insecure than before, but hopes that "the fear of thinking that they may enter again" will pass with time.
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