Lincoln Park residents are on alert after a string of bold and violent break-ins. One homeowner had a run-in with the robbers inside her home.
"I heard footsteps, multiple footsteps, down the stairs," said Sara Latham, who walked in on the robbers right after they broke into her home.
Latham's house on Dayton Avenue has tall gates, locked doors and windows along with an alarm system that was activated during the robbery. But none of those stopped a group of four thieves from breaking into Sara Latham’s Lincoln Park home around midnight on Friday.
"We stood up and started yelling," Latham said. "I screamed 'We have a gun!'"
It worked. The robbers were only inside for seconds and got away with a laptop.
The robbery at Latham's house is just one example of a rash of robberies in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.
On Tuesday, police say 32-year-old Matthew Lewis trolled down Wayne Avenue around 11:30 a.m. with a crowbar. He knocked on a resident's door.
She called the police and detectives said they caught him breaking into a home a few blocks away.
Police are working to see if Matthew is connected to, or part of the group that broke into Latham's home, according to Commander William Dun.
Latham continues to warn residents to be on guard.
"If they want to find a way in, they will, it's scary"
