We'll have more on how the Gateway City is reacting to the possibility of another Texan running for the presidency. But first, residents in a central Laredo neighborhood say they have seen an increase in home break-ins and one resident has had enough. She says it's happened in her small neighborhood at least four times in as many months and this time they made it personal by taking a member of the family. Ryan Bailey has more in our top story tonight at 10.

Hope Bailey was enjoying a normal Sunday afternoon, until her mother went to the backyard and noticed a man trying to get a piece of yard equipment over their fence.

"We were both home, vehicles were outside and the lights were on. So it was pretty scary."

With the home next door being vacant and a short retaining wall separating the yard, their home was very inviting for the thieves.

"When a house is vacant next door, it gives them easy access to your home."

They didn't get away with the tiller, but did take something much closer to Hope's heart, her dog Winnie.

"It was very emotionally disturbing for me. When they take a pet, it's family and so it gets personal."

The dog was returned later in the day but not before the family scoured the neighborhood looking for it and the thieves. Police say even simple mistakes like forgetting to dead bolt the door are what these kinds of people are looking for.

"Those little lapses in security are what thieves basically thrive on."

According to L.P.D. the same people commit most of these crimes over and over.

"We're not just talking about one or two times. We're talking about five, seven, sometimes upwards of 12 arrests for burglary of habitation."

Despite these residents poor fortune police say thefts are down across the board in Laredo and a way to keep it like that is to get involved as a neighborhood.

"They're getting braver in our neighborhood and it's not a good thing when we sit by and do nothing about it."

"It's the neighborhood participating and not just putting up the signs that does the trick."

Ryan Bailey, Laredo's pro 8 news.

If you would like to know more about a neighborhood watch program, you can call the Laredo police at 795-2800 and ask for the community relations department.