The thieves are coming. Hide the baby cereal.

If you live in Portmore, St Catherine, then you need to take careful measures to lock away your baby cereal. There is a gang of housebreakers, who have been cleaning out people's homes, only pausing to mix their favourite drink, baby cereal.

Police in the area are warning residents to be on the lookout for the gang which consists of about five or six members, who have been watching houses until occupants leave, then force their way inside.

Detective Constable Lloyd Knight, told THE STAR that the thieves have become so slick at their 'trade' that only a little evidence is left for the police.

"After they break into the houses, they mix baby feed and have even snacks to eat before leaving with items," he said.

The police say that so far close to 50 houses have been broken into and in at least 10 of the cases, baby cereals were stolen or drank at the scene of the crime.

According to the police one of alleged members, Alton Maxwell, appeared before the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, after he was held in a house, which he had broken into in Portmore Pines.

mixed baby cereal

Maxwell, 19, is reported to have mixed a bottle of baby cereal and was enjoying it when he was held. He was remanded until January.

Another of the alleged gang members, Tyrone 'Muggley' Gayle, is serving time after being sentenced to two years imprisonment at hard labour for breaking into the Braeton Primary and Junior High School. These arrests have, however, done nothing to deter the other members of the gang.

Constable Knight told THE STAR that persons in the Seven East, Six West and other areas of Greater Portmore, have suffered immensely with several cases of break-ins in these areas over a very short time. This has forced the police to step up their operations in these areas.

Detective Knight implored residents to be more vigilant in their communities and secure their houses and keys to prevent becoming victims.