BILLINGS- New homes under construction on Billings West End are being heavily targeted by thieves.
The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office is investigating thefts at several homes in the new subdivision between King Avenue and Hesper Road off 64th Street West.
The theft happened sometime in the last several days and Brandie Stordahl told Q2 Thursday, all her brand new appliances were recently stolen.
Construction is not yet complete on her Skycrest subdivision home, but the appliances had already been moved in.
“It’s scary,” she said.
Along with a refrigerator, dishwater, over and microwave Stordahl said the thieves used a crowbar to break open the garage side door and steal tools, generators, doorknobs, and light fixtures.
The entire cost of all that was taken, according to Stordahl, is somewhere around $10,000.
She notified the sheriff’s office and said detectives came out and dusted for fingerprints and took a detailed report of what was taken from the property.
That same night, according to Stordahl, three nearby homes were also burglarized and construction materials were taken.
“We just got electric on a few days ago so we didn’t have cameras, but we will now,” said Stordahl.
Meanwhile, Yellowstone County investigators say they’ve had numerous reports about thefts at construction sites around Billings.
“Property crimes are a steady crime,” said Lt. Kevin Cunningham. “It’s not uncommon to get several a week.”
Two weeks ago, Q2 also spoke to a couple of local builders who were ready to finish a house in the area of 66th Street West and Grand Avenue. That home was also burglarized. Construction tools and an entire construction trailer were hauled away from that property just days before the home was set to be featured in the Billings Parade of Homes.
At last check, police have not located the thieves in that case.
While police investigate this new string of thefts, Stordahl has some advice for anyone building a new home in the west end.
“I just urge everyone else to do the same thing, get cameras and whatever else you can do to protect yourself,” she said.
