SANTEE, Calif. (KGTV) - Some residents in a Santee neighborhood are reporting furniture thefts, including pricey patio sets, as furniture prices continue to spike.
Just off Woodglen Vista Drive, neighbors say their peace of mind has been stolen.
“So I walked up to my mailbox to get my mail, and I turned around and I was like, ‘Oh my God. Where’s my furniture?’” said Janice Hebert.
On Wednesday, Hebert discovered front deck, nearly empty. Just last week, she had bought a $2,200 patio furniture set, with a sofa, table and three chairs. The only things remaining: two plastic chairs and one chair from the set.
“Disgusted, annoyed. We work hard for things, and just for someone to take it, it pissed me off,” said Hebert.
A few hours earlier, and about a half mile away, a $250 fire pit table, including the propane tank, vanished from the front of Jill Kinser's home, along with several potted plants.
"It hurt my heart, because I just felt like, somebody had been close, in my house. Your house is where you feel safe,” said Kinser.
The thefts come as prices for furniture continue to surge, up 9.3% year to year in January, according to U.S. Dept. of Labor statistics. The furniture industry remains one of the hardest hit industries when it comes to supply chain issues.
“Now I'm just upset, because someone came into our community and just went shopping,” said Kinser.
It's a shopping spree Hebert fears will just keep going.
"If they're not caught, they're just going to keep stealing things,” said Hebert.
Last year, SANDAG reported a 10% increase in property crimes in the county.
Deputies say they haven't seen a surge in furniture thefts, but have opened up investigations into both incidents.
Anyone with information on the cases can call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or the Santee Station directly at (619) 956-4000.
