AHWATUKEE, AZ — An Ahwatukee family feels violated after thieves broke into their home while they were sleeping and stole car keys from one of their daughter's bedroom.
The break-in happened around 3 a.m. Thursday near 44th Street and Ray Road. Someone jumped the family's backyard wall and snuck in through a back door.
The family and their neighbors did not have surveillance cameras to catch the people responsible, but they believe there were multiple criminals because they drove off with an additional car.
"There had to be two of them to drive the BMW away," said Heidi McCarthy, the homeowner.
McCarthy was asleep, along with her daughters, when their sense of safety was violated.
"Eleven minutes they were in," said McCarthy, whose alarm system recorded the motion times. "They came in the back door at 3:17 a.m. and left out the back door at 3:28."
"I was awake and I heard something in the hallway but I didn't know what it was. I thought it was my sister," said 18-year-old Erin McCarthy.
But the noise was the criminals sneaking inside 20-year-old Elizabeth McCarthy's bedroom.
"They walked into my room while I was sleeping and took my purse," said Elizabeth.
The purse also had the keys to her "2011 320i" silver BMW car. When the family woke up, they noticed the garage door was open and the car was gone.
"We all have fans on, so we never heard the garage open," said Heidi.
The family is thankful no one was hurt.
"What if Elizabeth woke up when they opened her door?" wondered Heidi.
The women spent all day filling out insurance claims, changing locks, canceling credit cards, applying for new drivers licenses and talking with police. They say it is not about the money or the car.
"We would just would like them to be caught," said Heidi.
The place the McCarthys' have called home for 15 years no longer feels like a place of comfort, they said.
