MURRIETA - Burglars in Murrieta are switching off the lights to homes in what police warned today was a new technique to determine whether residences are occupied.

According to Sgt. Don Weller, there have been several recent break-ins during which circuit breakers were tripped by suspects targeting homes they wanted to confirm were empty.

"Once the home is determined to be unoccupied, the suspects force entry into the residence and ransack it, looking for valuable jewelry and unsecured firearms," Weller said.

He warned residents to be alert to the practice and to keep all valuables, particularly guns, "well secured,"

Anyone who may have information about the burglaries was urged to call the police department at (951) 696-3615.