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‘I feel scared:’ victim concerned after break-in

Jul 27, 2017 | 8:00 AM

A Prince Albert woman and her friend got a serious fright early Tuesday morning after a man slit open a window screen and climbed into her home.

Lindsay Arnesen, 31, was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom in her home in the 900-block of Seventh St. E. when her friend, who had decided to sleep on her couch after a pizza and movie night, woke her up suddenly just after 3 a.m.

Arnesen said her friend’s sleep was disturbed by a loud ripping sound, and when she looked up moments later she saw a pair of shoes and a head peeking out from behind Arnesen’s curtains surveying the pitch-black living room.

“He poked his head out and he stared at her,” Arnesen said. “That’s when she came running upstairs screaming to get me.”

With her 10-year-old son sleeping downstairs, Arnesen said she made a dash through the living room to the basement to make sure he was safe. She noticed the front window screen was slit open, but there was no sign of the intruder.

Arnesen and her friend called police, she said, and an officer was on the scene less than a minute later. They could not provide a detailed description because her friend only saw the man briefly in a darkened room, she said, but police called in their K9 unit and attempted to track the suspect.

Although she’s glad for the quick police response, Arnesen said she doesn’t want to think about what might have happened had her friend not chosen to spend the night on her couch. The whole incident, she said, has left her concerned for her family’s safety.

“My children are pretty alarmed,” she said. “I’m terrified. Last night I didn’t sleep at all.”

Arnesen said she visited the SPCA yesterday, and intends to adopt a dog to help her peace of mind. She’s also received quotes from several security companies and intends to have an alarm system installed as soon as possible.

Police Spokesperson Sgt. Travis Willie confirmed officers quickly set up a containment area and searched for the suspect with help from police dog Febee, but came up empty-handed. 

Willie said incidents such as this are uncommon and added homeowners are always encouraged to take preventative measures to make their properties less appealing to criminals. These can include alarm systems, motion-sensor lights or trimming foliage to improve visibility, he said, and added residents should report any suspicious activity to police.

 

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews