Several Rock Island homes were targeted by a jewel thief on Wednesday.

Warren County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a string of five home burglaries that took place on Jan. 19. All the crimes are strikingly similar.

“All of them are in the Rock Island area,” said Sheriff’s Department Major Jason Walker. “Forced entry was made on all the homes. All the victims were at work during the day. The thief seems to be targeting jewelry in the homes.”

Two homes are located on Francis Ferry Road, while the remaining three are on Mason Grissom Road, Hennessee Bridge Road and Plainview Road.

“It appears they all could be related,” said Walker.

Sheriff Tommy Myers is urging residents to report any suspicious activity and take photos of suspicious people or vehicles.

Another tip to prevent this type of burglary is to make the home look occupied at all times.

“Homeowners can also install security systems and security cameras,” said Myers.

A neighborhood watch is also effective. This is a crime prevention effort by neighbors agreeing to watch for one another and report any suspicious activity. Anyone with information regarding the burglaries that occurred on Wednesday, Jan. 19 is urged to call Warren County Sheriff’s Department at 4737863 or Warren County’s 911 nonemergency number at 6687000.