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There have been five violent home invasion robberies in the past month, but is that really unusual for the Salt Lake Valley?
It may be surprising with a string of recent stories of home invasions, but numbers are on par with last year.
In 2007 there were 41 home invasions; this year there have been 36.
Last night, three men where involved in a home invasion robbery near 1500 East Harvard Avenue (1175 South). Four people suffered cuts and bruises to the back of their heads, arms and backs. Laptops, cell phones and gaming systems were stolen.
And on Monday, five people were inside the home near 200 South and 1400 West just after 11:00 p.m. when three men carrying weapons forced their way inside and beat several of the residents with a baseball bat.
So far, police don't believe the two cases are connected, but they do want people to know that home invasions where the victims are picked out of the blue are very rare. Sgt. Robin Snyder, spokeswoman for the Salt Lake City Police Department, said, "There's usually a little more to the story. It's not so much a random act. It doesn't happen randomly often in Salt Lake."
In the 36 cases this year, police say a variety of methods have been used. In some cases there weren't any weapons; in others things from baseball bats to guns were used.
Police say the best way to prevent yourself from becoming one of the rare random targets is to follow simple precautions; things like locking your home and car doors behind you.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
