Five homes in the same Barrie neighbourhood were broken into last night while people were inside sleeping.

Officers say a suspect (or suspects) broke into the homes through their garages in the area of Thorncrest Road and Marshall Street. Property was taken, as was food in most cases. In one instance, a homeowner confronted the suspect, who then ran out the front door.

“One house in particular the vehicle was unlocked in the driveway, they went into the vehicle used the garage door opener and opened the garage door and from there they could go into the home full access,” Barrie police Const. Angela Butler says. “So lock everything up - we would even suggest take that garage door opener and bring it in your house.”

Police are looking for two white men in their late twenties, around five feet nine inches tall with thin builds. And now, officers are warning homeowners to lock all their doors, including those on their garages, and watch for suspicious activity in their neighbourhoods. The break-ins are happening overnight, and officers say the suspects are brazen enough to go inside, even if people are home asleep.

The Barrie Police Service wants residents to look at the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services crime prevention booklet to learn more about protecting their homes.