Burglars have taken advantage of unlocked vehicles and houses, but a thief in Gaithersburg found a different entryway: the dog door.
Montgomery County Police investigators believe the suspect got into to a Gaithersburg house two weeks before Christmas by reaching through a dog door and unlocking the door knob.
The suspect made off with property, including a purse containing credit cards, police said Thursday.
In about four hours, the suspect used the credit cards to rack up more than $6,000 in charges at gas stations and stores in Mt. Airy, Ellicott City, Baltimore, Hanover, Catonsville and Arbutus, police said.
Homeowners awoke at around 5 a.m. Dec. 11 to find their garage and vehicles burglarized, police said.
Pry marks were found on the door leading from the garage to the home, indicating the suspect tried to unsuccessfully enter the house before trying the dog door, authorities said.
Police spokeswoman Sgt. Rebecca Innocenti said cases where burglars try the dog door are rare. The size of the door dictates access, and the Gaithersburg house had a sizable one, she said.
The entire house was locked but the dog door is something residents don’t usually consider securing, Innocenti said.
Police released a photo and surveillance video of their suspect on Thursday.
