Two arrested in house break-ins while occupants at funerals

CTV Kitchener: Two facing charges Police have arrested two women accused of breaking into homes while their occupants were attending funerals. Frank Lynn has details.

Two women have been arrested in connection with a series of break-and-enters that occurred while the homeowners and occupants were away at funerals.

In January and February, six such thefts were reported at homes in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Woodstock.

Waterloo Regional Police now say there were 11 thefts in total.

“They stole cash, laptops, jewellery and any personal items that they could get,” Staff Sgt. Shaena Morris tells CTV News.

Items stolen from the homes have a combined value of more than $100,000.

Monday, police announced the arrest of two women in connection with the theft.

Laura Rock, a 26-year-old Hamilton resident who had recently moved there from Waterloo, was arrested over the weekend.

Michelle Elliot, 45 years old and also from Hamilton, was already in custody in that city for a similar offence that occurred in Port Dover.

She will be brought to Waterloo Region later this week, police say.

The two are jointly charged with 11 counts of break, enter and commit, five counts of break and enter with intent to commit, five counts of possession of stolen property and one count apiece of possession of break-in instruments and conspiracy.

“They would scroll through obituaries, funeral notices … (then) they took to social media, researched personal information on social media, and used that information to determine when they would conduct the break-and-enters,” says Morris.

Bill Bard was one of those allegedly targeted by Rock and Elliot.

He arrived home from his wife’s funeral to find that a television, laptop computer and silverware set had been stolen, as had medication.

Bard says he intends to be at as many of Rock and Elliot’s court appearances as he can.

“These people that break into houses are scum to begin with, but I think when they use the obituary and people who are mourning … how low can you go?” he says.

In addition to Waterloo Regional Police and Woodstock Police, officers from Niagara Region, Halton Region, Brantford and the OPP were involved in the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 519-650-8500 ext. 6340 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.