Waterloo man’s house robbed while in Woodstock for mother’s funeral

CTV Kitchener: Crimes of opportunity Thefts while homeowners are away at funerals continue to take place, including two involving a Woodstock funeral home. Nadia Matos explains.

Another case has been reported in a series of break-ins to local homes while their occupants are away at funerals.

As of last week, those break-ins had been reported in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Woodstock.

A sixth incident occurred Monday, with a Waterloo man’s home being burgled while he was in Woodstock, attending his mother’s funeral.

It was the second time this month a client of Brock & Visser Funeral Home in Woodstock had been victimized, something which has co-owner John Brock upset.

“We think it’s the lowest of the low,” he tells CTV News.

“To come home to something like that, to me, is just inexcusable.”

Police believe the thieves are combing through public obituaries, and finding addresses of family members based on the names provided in the obituary – although they too find the crimes reprehensible.

“Somebody’s mourning the loss of a loved one, and somebody’s taking advantage of it by totally destroying their lives,” says Woodstock Police Const. Eric Hiiuvain.

Brock says staff at Brock & Visser are notifying their clients of the recent incidents and telling them to be on guard.

“We’re letting people know what’s happening so they can be diligent,” he says.

Police suggest counteracting those looking to rob homes by having somebody stay in the home during the funeral, keeping watch.

“The suggestion we’d offer would be to make sure you talk to a neighbour you trust. Talk to a friend and have a friend stop by, just to watch over the house while you’re away,” Hiiuvain says.

Should that not be possible, Brock says, anyone leaving their home empty should arrange to have a car parked in the driveway, lights turned on or other activity to make it look as though someone is home.

He’s also trying to form a group of volunteers to house-sit during funerals, and says funeral home staff are willing to take on the task as well.

“If they’ve trusted our firm with their loved one … we could certainly arrange for someone to house-sit or at least be available to them, if they have no one (else) available,” he says.

Locked doors, secured windows and activated alarms are also suggested as prevention tips.