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Brazen burglaries lead to face-to-face encounters in St. Paul

A series of burglaries that took place throughout the day on Saturday, September 15th have left two St Paul neighborhoods on edge.

ST. PAUL - Police say a series of brazen burglaries and attempted burglaries last weekend resulted in tense face-to-face encounters in at least seven cases in the Prosperity and Hayden Heights neighborhoods.

Bob Groth and his wife were sleeping on their second floor, when he heard a startling noise and grabbed his nearest weapon.

"My old Wilson Staff," Groth said. "My weapon is a one iron. I can't hit it in golf, so I keep it by the bed."

But Bob Groth says even his one iron couldn't prepare him for what he saw outside his second story bathroom window Saturday night.

"Here I am, face-to-face with a face," Groth said. "He was trying to jimmy the window open."

But he quickly put a stop to that.

"Tapped the window. Let him know I was here," Groth said. "That was it. He was gone. I called the police and they were here immediately, a whole bunch of them."

That's because St Paul police had already been at six other nearby homes within the Prosperity and Hayden Heights neighborhoods throughout the day on Saturday. Each report described similar face-to-face confrontations, many inside homes.

"People should be able to feel the safest when they're in their homes, and some of these crimes are very unnerving for the residents," said St Paul Police Sergeant Mike Ernster.

"One couple was laying in bed and waking up," Groth said. "To have somebody going through their nightstand next to them, that's a little scary."

St. Paul Police released surveillance photos from two of the incidents, and are asking the public to help identify the suspect or suspects involved.

"I couldn't recognize the face," Groth said. "We seen eachother and, bingo, that was it."

After the confrontation, Groth also noticed a mess inside his back entrance.

"He removed these windows so he could get in and unlock (the door)," Groth said.

But he's glad nothing was taken and no golf swings were needed.

"I'm not a kid any more, but a one iron is good enough for now," Groth said.

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