Police looking for suspects after rash of Pine Lakes area break-ins

Myrtle Beach police are asking for the public’s help in identifying suspects wanted in connection with a string of home burglaries and car break-ins in the Pine Lakes area, two of which happened Friday morning.

Officers were called about 8 a.m. to the 5900 block of Woodside Avenue in the Pine Lakes area where a 51-year-old man and woman reported their garage door was opened, their 12 gauge shotgun and 9 mm gun were both missing, and the woman’s purse had been moved and looked through, according to a police report.

Police also responded about 9 a.m. Friday to the 5700 block of Country Club Drive where a 48-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman reported a gun was missing from their home after the man surprised a suspect he saw in his garage.

The man told police he was in bed about 1 a.m. when he was awoken by his security alarm. He grabbed his gun and headed toward the garage where the alert was sounding and saw the garage door open and a figure standing in the entrance, according to a police report.

The man yelled for the intruder to get out of his home, and the alleged burglar ran out through the backyard and climbed a fence where police believed two suspects entered. The man told authorities the missing gun had been taken from a bathroom that’s outside of his home, officers said.

Police warned that extreme caution should be used as the suspects are believed to be armed with weapons they’ve allegedly taken.

Anyone with information on their identities, whereabouts, or other information can call the Myrtle Beach Police Department at 843-918-1382.

Authorities also encourage residents to take safety measures, such as locking their homes and vehicles and ensuring vehicles are parked in properly lit areas, officers said.

This story was originally published February 13, 2016 at 9:12 AM with the headline "Police looking for suspects after rash of Pine Lakes area break-ins."