An alert family dog stopped a burglar in his tracks when he tried to clear out the New Jersey homeowners' car parked in the driveway.
Hercules is a friendly dog, his owners in Nutley say, but he wasn't so friendly when he saw a burglar crawling in the window at 1 a.m. Tuesday.
"He was barking like we've never heard him barking before," said Stephanie Gencarelli.
Stephanie and Jarret Gencarelli were roused from their sleep, and they immediately knew something was "definitely wrong," according to Stephanie.
She went downstairs and saw the burglar in her driveway, rifling through her unlocked car.
"He even saw us through the windows. He didn't have a care in the world," Stephanie said.
Jarret heard the commotion and reached for his gun.
"I quickly grabbed a gun next to my bed, ran down the steps -- I actually saw the guy right in our driveway, followed him around my house," he said.
The burglar fled.
Neighbors of the Gencarellis say the same burglar targeted their homes that night. Fayrouz Shama said he tried to get into her home from the backyard.
"Everybody's scared. This is a quiet street," said another neighbor, John Evanzelou.
Police said the serial burglar slipped into yet another home through an unlocked window, ransacked the house and then stole the family's car -- all while the family slept. The stolen car was later found in Newark.
The suspect may also be connected to nine car break-ins, police said. He remains on the loose, but at this point police do not have an ID of the suspect.
Stephanie Gencarelli is grateful Hercules helped her avoid becoming a victim.
"If the dog didn't come down, this guy probably would have been inside the window," she said.
Still, police say, the incidents are a good reminder for neighbors to lock their doors and windows, even in a neighborhood that feels safe.
