The Abington Township Police Department announced this morning that a daytime burglary took place at the 1300 block of Carol Road in Meadowbrook on Wednesday, July 31, followed by an overnight break-in on Tuesday, August 6 in the unit block of Lee Lynn Lane in Huntingdon Valley.

Police said no one was home at the time of the first burglary, and that a resident was assaulted and injured by one of the suspects during the second burglary.

Police believe both of the incidents involved a pair of burglars who targeted the residences because they are “Asian-American and own or operate businesses in the area,” the department said in a post.

“This is a particularly disturbing, and nationwide crime trend where organized groups of thieves are targeting the homes of Asian American business owners due to the stereotype that Asian business owners have items of high value in their homes,” the post said.

Police said the suspects involved in the above burglaries conduct surveillance of Asian-owned businesses “to learn the life patterns of the owners, and then follow them home from work to learn where they live.”

Abington police are sharing information with other local departments regarding similar recent incidents, the post said.

The department said they have made the trend a top priority and ask community members to dial 9-1-1 if anything suspicious happens in their neighborhoods.

The department recommends that all residents, particularly Asian-American business owners, should take the following preventive steps:

Be aware of cars in the neighborhood that aren’t normally there
Be aware of anyone who might be following you home
Give thought to how you secure valuables in your house
Motion sensor lighting on the front and back of a home will help deter break-ins
Install surveillance cameras on or around the home and business
Consider having a home or business alarm system installed

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