A search warrant filed Thursday in Fairfax Circuit Court revealed that witnesses helped police identify two possible suspects: a Hispanic man in a blue jumpsuit or work uniform, appearing to be a maintenance or repair worker, and a Hispanic woman with pink- or red-tinted hair who knocked on doors soliciting plumbing work.

Some witnesses also told police that they had seen a small, blue sport-utility vehicle, possibly a Ford, parked in the neighborhoods where some of the break-ins occurred. The thefts often occurred during the day.

Even though these particular burglars have been caught, there is still a lot to be learned from their crimes:

1. The break-ins occurred during daylight hours when most residents were at work. By installing a webcam to monitor properties from their offices, PDAs or iPhones, residents could have captured valuable footage of the intruders and may have been able to order a police dispatch before the burglars fled the property.
   
2. These burglars gained access to homes and information of the people who lived there by interacting with residents beforehand, disguised as service workers. Had these homes been equipped with video intercom security systems, the residents would have automatically captured images of the intruders at first contact, possibly leading the police to an earlier apprehension.
   
3. This neighborhood did hold three town hall-style meetings to share information and speak to local authorities. This type of gathering is often useful for targeted, repetitive break-ins because it enables residents to share information and develop a suspect profile. In fact, the police apprehension in these burglaries was based on a tip from neighborhood witnesses who had been to these town meetings and knew who to look for. Hold a neighborhood meeting or use websites like groups.yahoo.com , blogspot.com or facebook.com to develop an online portal for your community. Encourage residents to post photos, video and information regarding suspicious activity and to check the site regularly.
4. Always remember to keep your alarm system alarmed even if you are gone briefly during the day. These intruders spent a lot of time parked around the neighborhood and may be tempted to burglarize even during short intervals of absence. Walking in on a burglar is the worst-case scenario; eliminate that risk by setting your alarm during any absence of any length and locking your doors while at home.