When Aaron Pace unlocked his North Dallas apartment after a week-long work trip last Friday, he did not walk into a quiet homecoming. He walked into a stripped-down shell. Electronics were gone, personal belongings had been scooped up, and his place looked like it had been turned inside out. Shaken and no longer feeling safe, Pace says he is already planning to move. With no renters insurance to help cover the loss, he has launched an online fundraiser to replace what was stolen and fix what was damaged.
Security camera catches robe-clad intruder and return trip
According to WFAA, security footage from a neighbor’s unit shows the trouble starting on Dec. 17. In the video, a man in a red robe walks up to Pace’s door and, investigators and neighbors say, gets inside after removing a metal security bar from the sliding glass door. The same camera later records two people coming back on Dec. 18, making multiple trips in and out with a television and other items in hand.
Neighbors told reporters the suspects have also cut or disabled security cameras during an earlier break-in at the complex, a pattern that has residents on edge.
“I feel like I wanted to throw up,” victim says
Pace said the shock of seeing his ransacked apartment hit him immediately. “I feel like I wanted to throw up,” he told WFAA. He reported the burglary to the Dallas Police Department and listed a television, a PlayStation and a camera among the items taken. The fundraiser, he says, is his only real shot at covering those losses.
The station also reported that in an earlier burglary involving a neighbor in the same complex, which was caught on the same camera, no arrests have yet been made.
North Star complex rattled as residents reconsider safety
The break-in happened at the North Star apartment community on Forest Lane in North Dallas, which is listed online at 9600 Forest Ln, according to Realtor. Residents say the recent string of incidents has badly shaken their faith in the building’s security, and Pace is clear that he would rather pack up than wait to see what happens next.
He has asked neighbors to comb through their own camera footage for anything that might help identify the suspects and has shared clips of the burglary to draw attention to the case. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Dallas Police Department or file a report through the department’s online reporting portal.
