Burglars entered four unlocked Ellicott City garages yesterday -- one day after Howard County police had warned residents about a string of recent garage burglaries.
All four of the burglaries took place between 1 a.m. and 3:42 a.m. yesterday while residents slept, police said.
In the 5100 block of Crystal Springs Drive, someone took a garage door opener found in a car parked outside, entered an unlocked door leading into the home and took a purse, police said.
In the other three burglaries -- executed without garage-door openers -- thieves searched vehicles parked in driveways on Crestfield Court and two homes on Rising Sun Lane and walked into the garages through unlocked side doors.
Police did not know yesterday what was taken in those burglaries.
Police are still investigating six garage-door-opener burglaries in Columbia and Highland that occurred over a 30-hour period between Friday night and Sunday morning. Police had said the weekend garage burglaries were not related to six others that occurred in the final months of 1994.
Sgt. Steve Keller, a police spokesman, offered these tips to protect homes from burglars:
* Lock all doors.
* Don't leave garage openers in cars.
* If you hear your garage opening unexpectedly, call police.
* Don't confront burglars.