Just days before Christmas, a Neperan Road father of two came home yesterday to find the wrapped presents under the tree had been opened and picked through.

The thief is choosy, said Detective Sgt. Gene Buonanno, whose division is investigating this and another similar incident that happened earlier in the month.

On December 12, in an incident Patch reported on in the Police Beat, a family of four on Dixon and North Broadway, were robbed at some time between their 7:20 a.m. departure and 3:20 p.m. return home.

Upon their arrival home, they discovered that someone had gained entry through a rear locked door. Items stolen included expensive jewelry, smaller electronics, and wrapped presents under the tree. The perpetrator opens the gifts and leaves behind the lesser things - like gloves, etc. - focussing on expensive items. 

Yesterday's incident also happened to a family of four. A father who is around by day and had only left the house for a few hours - between 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. - came home to find the same scene. There had been a forced entry through the basement door. Drawers throughout the house had been opened, presents ransaked, and only expensive items - jewelry, electronics - had been taken. 

There are no witnesses to these events and it's possible these houses had been watched by the thief for the comings and goings of their occupants. Buonanno believes the suspect may be young, and on foot, with a backpack, as lighter items were taken and there seems to be no car in these scenarios. He doesn't believe the criminal needs to be in the house for long to do his work.

A reverse 911 alert went out to Tarrytown residents and the detective urges anyone to call the police station with any suspicious activity. 

Buonanno also offered these precautionary tips: both incidents happened at locked houses, but the locks weren't sufficient. A dead bolt would stop a thief, but these "little butter locks you can slide a knife in and open" don't cut it. While insurance may cover some losses, shoppers also might want to inquire with their credit card company what the policy is on stolen goods. American Express, he said, is one company that will reimburse for this sort of loss on purchases made with the card. 

"The big thing is we need help," Buonanno said. "Call, call, call. People have to participate. If you see anything out of the ordinary, anyone, it can't hurt to call."

The phone number for the Tarrytown Police Station is (914) 631-5544.