A group of teenagers is suspected by the police of having burglarized a series of homes in Chisinau’s Buiucani district. The police collected evidence indicating that the group, consisting of three teenagers (two aged 16 and one 17) from the suburban town of Durlesti, have operated for more than three months using a fine-tuned plan, managing to break in and steal from nine homes. Info-Prim Neo learned from the Interior Ministry that the juveniles had been under police surveillance months earlier. The gang was held recently after committing its last burglary. While in arrest, the young burglars confessed they have been choosing their target homes based on a specific criterion: vinyl-framed windows with insulated glazing, which they masterly knew how to open. The burglars used to spy on the owners before burglarizing their apartments. This way, they’ve managed to steal money, gold jewelry and other valuables. Criminal proceedings have been initiated against them. Under the Criminal Code, the juveniles face imprisonment terms of up to 10 years. Dr. Maria Varlan, a psychologist with the “Armonie” Center, considers that juvenile theft represents a behavioral deviation as serious as alcohol or drug abuse among teenagers. The reasons for which children and adolescents resort to stealing or lying vary from case to case, but as a rule this is a way of asserting themselves as independent persons, of becoming the center of attention for their peers or families, of “buying” affection against gifts they could offer. The Interior Ministry warns that the number of housebreakings usually increases once the weather gets warmer. The main reason for which people get burglarized is that they leave town for holidays, but also due to their lack of attention. Therefore, homeowners and tenants are urged not to keep valuables in accessible places, not to leave their homes without surveillance, to close tightly their windows, or secure them with bars. Still the best solution to thwart burglars’ plans is to equip one’s dwelling with a house alarm. From the beginning of the year, the police have registered 871 cases of home burglaries, of which 152 took place this month.