"A client asked, hey, have you heard anything about burglaries in the neighborhood? I said no, and she said a couple nights ago it was her next-door neighbor, they went right through an opened window," said Gianna Bandoni, who lives on the street.
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That wasn't the only sighting. Since the start of April, at least five homes have been hit. In every case, police say the suspect used the same tactic, slipping through unlocked windows after dark, undaunted by the fact there were people inside.
"These caught our attention because they were happening at night while people were at home sleeping, and we didn't want it to turn into something more serious if there were any type of confrontation," said Sgt. Rey Alvarez with Merced Police.
Detectives eventually caught up with the burglar after he used a stolen credit card at a local store. Detectives say his name is Kobe Maynard and he's only 19-years-old.
"He really didn't give us a reason for why he was committing these burglaries," said Sgt. Alvarez. "He was young so it's pretty alarming."
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Police served a search warrant on Maynard's house and found many of the stolen belongings. They included electronics and wallets with credit and social security cards.
Officers say these thefts could have easily been prevented.
"I had the bathroom window up high in the shower open just to steam the bathroom and I forgot to close it and I realize it's been open for a couple weeks," said Bandoni. "It's small you'd think that no one would get in there, but people would find a way. "
Bandoni who was fortunately not hit this time -- says she's learned a valuable lesson.