The thief could bake a cake — after stealing kitchen utensils.

The Victim: Lucille Campbell
The Crime: Burglary
Date: Saturday, Aug. 20
Time: Between 10 p.m. and 6:15 a.m.
Location: 900 block of Montclair

Lucille Campbell has lived in Oak Cliff for 37 years, and been the victim of crime eight times. In recent years, she added two large dogs to her household to help deter criminals from her property.

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Sadly, two weeks ago, the larger dog passed away. The smaller German shepherd was all she had left to bark at any potential criminals.

“This one was a good one,” she says of her most recent brush with crime. “We’ve had it pretty bad over here.”

On the night of the crime, someone apparently tried to pry open her kitchen window just above the sink, where she kept some cups and kitchen utensils.

“My kitchen window must have gotten stuck. They couldn’t get through the window,” Campbell says. “Apparently, they were so fat they couldn’t get through.”

The burglar grabbed the few things she had sitting on the windowsill, including a half-container of dishwashing soap the cups and utensils, including a spatula and whisk. This collection wasn’t the typical break-in loot, but more like items in use in a show on the Food Network.

The burglar may also have been scared away by Campbell’s dog, which barked that night. Campbell remembers coming into the kitchen, but not seeing anyone.

“What they took was just really stupid, but I feel really violated,” she says.

The burglaries have been a frustration for Campbell, but she is glad that the thieves were not able to enter her home and steal anything else or, worse, assault her while she was at home.

Dallas Police Lt. Gil Garza of the Southwest Patrol Division says Campbell’s dog may have indeed saved the day by scaring away the suspect.

“Certainly having a dog can be a plus,” he says. “Large dogs can be an intimidating factor for any suspects casing a particular location. Small dogs can alert residents of intruders. Dog owners will point this out as a positive.”

However, a lazy or uninterested hound may not offer the best security.

“I’ve also heard the opposite, where the dog didn’t do anything,” Garza adds.

Crime Numbers

2

Aggravated assaults occurred at Seventh and North Lancaster.

4

Businesses at Davis and Zang were burgalized.

6

Vehicles were burglarized along Fort Worth Avenue between Hampton and Westmoreland.

Source: Dallas Police Department crime stats for Aug. 13-Sept. 13

Read more of Sean’s True Crime reports here.