Austin police say some teens are studying homes during school hours more than their books.
By day Brian Bymark is a stay-at-home dad watching his seven-month-old baby girl. At night, he is B-Doe -- KLBJ FM radio DJ.
In late February he was a target of teens looking to steal.
"I saw an unknown vehicle to me pull up to literally to my garage,” Bymark said.
The driver got out and popped the hood, but before he had a chance to knock, Bymark opened his front door.
"I was like, 'Can I help you guys?' And that's when he very nervously asked for some water; his radiator was overheating. I'm not a mechanic, but I know what an overheating radiator looks like,” Bymark said.
Police watching the Central East Austin neighborhood as part of a burglary prevention initiative swooped in and arrested the teens. Two of the three had warrants for burglary.
"It made me sick to my stomach. The more days that passed, the more I realized what situation I was in with my seven-month-old daughter. She can't defend herself. It's scary,” he said.
APD Lt. Nick Wright says officers are trying to stop the thieves before they strike by issuing daytime curfew violations.
According to city code, kids can not be in public places, including sitting in cars between the hours of 9 a.m and 2:30 p.m. while school is in session.
"The local high school is Reagan High School. Some of these students that we found were from McCallum High School, or high schools six, seven, eight miles away. So, they're in the area for a purpose other than good,” Wright said.
Since the start of their initiative, police have reduced burglaries in the Windsor Park neighborhood by 67 percent. Of the 20 or more teens arrested, more than half had prior burglary arrests.
Do not let age fool you, Wright says, the teens know what they are doing.
"They'll drive by in the evening times when your shades are open and your TVs and stuff are on," he said. "They come back the next day, your vehicle is gone, they make entry into your home, they take your stuff."
Wright says if you see a suspicious vehicle or teen walking around during school hours, no matter where you live, call police.
"We're aware of what's going on. We're not afraid to call the cops to bust those kids,” Bymark said.
Bymark is proof; burglary can happen to you.
Curfew tickets can carry fines up to $500. If a teen is caught in violation, officers issue a ticket and take the student back to school.
