NE Bend homeowner falls victim to jewelry theft for second time; other valuables stolen

(Update: Adding video, comments from burglary victim, Cascade Village, Bend PD)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Cascade Village is a manufactured home community located off Cooley Road in northeast Bend. A few weeks ago, a homeowner there says their house was been broken into, resulting in thousands of dollars in lost jewelry and other valuables.

"There was a little fear, you know. It's invasive into your home, and coming in and throwing your clothes all on the floor and trying to find anything they can," the concerned resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, told NewsChannel 21 Wednesday.

The homeowner contacted us after falling victim for a second time in 18 months to her home being burglarized. On both occasions, fortunately, she was not home when the thefts occurred.

The first incident happened back in June 2022, when thieves broke a window and stole personal belongings.

Then, a few weeks ago, thieves used a crowbar to pry open the garage door and steal jewelry.

"What they did to get in a second time, you would think I had a million dollars in this house," the resident explained.

The resident says the robbers made off with thousands of dollars in jewelry, among other personal valuables. Along with her home being broken into, she says a couple of her neighbors have also experienced their homes being burglarized, also while they were out of town.

Bend Police Communications Manager Sheila Miller has some suggestions for reducing the risk of burglaries.

"It's important to keep some lights on," she said. "If you have the ability to have a camera system, we recommend that, and letting your trusted neighbors know you're not going to be home, so that if they see something suspicious, they can report it to the police."

The woman says after the first time she was robbed, Cascade Village hired security to patrol the area.

But even with the security, thieves struck a second time.

"I had things from my mother, my grandmother and my husband. But I got past that. I got past that. But it affects you emotionally," she said holding back tears.

Cascade Village contacted NewsChannel 21 and confirmed that they sent out community updates to residents, informing them about the recent incident.

They also said they hired security, Bend Patrol Services, who does nightly patrols around the park.

The concerned resident has now started a petition to further increase security in the park, suggesting putting a fence all around the properties and adding a secured entrance gate.

The resident has also filed two police reports with Bend Police.

Miller said, "They are a crime of opportunity, but they're also usually someone who is close to the victim. So it might be someone who has a key, it might be someone who knows you're out of town, who's aware of your schedule."

According to police, there have been 73 residential burglaries in Bend this year, which is down from previous years. In contrast, there have been 81 business burglaries in Bend this year, which is an increase from years past.