A wave of residential break-ins across east Contra Costa County prompted police to issue an unusually broad warning to homeowners.
Detectives in Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley and Brentwood said they were investigating a series of burglaries in which groups of juveniles slipped into homes through unlocked doors or unsecured windows — in some cases by removing screens — according to a community advisory issued Wednesday.
In many of the incidents, police said, the intruders appeared to be hunting for one specific item: car keys. That search has “unfortunately led to several stolen vehicles,” the advisory noted…