Rash of burglaries leaves The Willows community on high alert

FORT MYERS, Fla.- It was a morning of terror for homeowners in The Willows community just off Plantation Road, as they woke up to discover thieves had broken in to several houses and vehicles.

“My truck is locked, I have a key code to get in it,” said John Landry who thought his truck was tough to break into.

“They got in through that code absolutely no problem,” Landry added, “I think they were ready to take everything.”

Shortly after 2 a.m. on Thursday, Landry’s neighbor woke up to a noise.

“He was woken up by someone in his house,” Landry said, “chased him out and that’s how I kind of heard about the whole thing.”

Lee County deputies, K9s and a helicopter searched for at least three suspects on Willow Lake Circle.

Landry says his truck was stocked for a fishing trip he was supposed to take Thursday morning, but the $11,000 worth of gear was gone. His neighbor’s television was left in the back seat, leaving detectives to believe the thieves planned to steal Landry’s truck as well.

Another resident says the thieves easily opened their locked front door. They ransacked some drawers and stole money while the parents and children were sleeping. A locksmith was at the home later in the morning, installing new locks.

“Just how shocked they are,” Landry said referring to his neighbors, “this is a very small little community that a lot of professionals live in, and people with children, a family community and they have never seen anything like this.”

Investigators dusted for fingerprints and collected DNA from some blood inside one of the trucks.

“We’ll see what it turns into,” Landry said, “hopefully they get them.”