Daytime thief helps himself to open garage in Sterling Heights

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It's something so many of us do, especially as it gets warmer - leave the garage open while out doing yard work or chores inside the house. But what happened to a Sterling Heights homeowner is an unfortunate lesson.

"You don't think it will happen to you," Suzanne says. "It just blows my mind as to why people do this stuff."

Last week, she was out gardening on the side of her home with her dog Mocha by her side.

"I kept coming in and out of the garage; I was out there maybe a couple of hours," she says.

On security video, you can see the suspect casing the house. After driving by twice he pulled his truck into the driveway -- blending right in. You can see him on the video casually walk inside the open garage -- and grab a $100 hydraulic jack. He loads it into his truck, all in less than a minute. 

"It literally happened so quickly, in just seconds," she says.

Suzanne walks with a cane and had a walker with her that afternoon. She thinks the thief chose her specifically. 

"I was mad because ... I'm limited in my mobility that someone had taken advantage of me," Suzanne says.

Sterling Heights Police haven't caught the guy yet, but want to pass on some tips. Close your garage, and lock the interior door going into the house. Leaving expensive lawn equipment in the yard makes you a target. Store it instead. And if you can get security cameras, the footage is invaluable to police. Suzanne plans on upgrading their system after this. 

"That's what's frustrating," she says. "Is that we have to do something we shouldn't actually have to do."