The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is investigating two burglaries in the Ocala Highlands area early Thursday morning, where a masked man broke into homes while residents were inside.

Tomiya Brown, who lives in the area, said she saw law enforcement on her street after the incidents. “It was a few police officers out here and a couple of forensic units,” Brown said.

The sheriff’s office said the burglaries occurred between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. and involved two homes. “In the first home, he was able to take cash and prescription medication. The second home he was interrupted by the homeowner, which is when he fled,” Valerie Strong with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said.

The suspect is described as a man dressed in all black with some sort of face covering. The sheriff’s office couldn’t say how he entered the homes or whether he could have been armed.

“When you have someone that is willing to enter two homes in a neighborhood on the same night knowing the homeowners are home, you don’t know what he’s capable of,” Strong said.

The sheriff’s office posted a map showing the area where the burglaries happened, which includes Northwest 68th Place down to Northwest 65th Street.

They are asking residents to check their security cameras and report any suspicious activity. “We want to keep our citizens safe, and we need to find out who this is to get him off our streets,” Strong said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.