A Brevard County family is still on edge after crooks break into their home and rip them off while they were sleeping.
It’s part of a series of burglaries being investigated in the Viera area -- considered the safest in the county.
"You think you are going to hear somebody come into your home. You think, of course you're going to wake up," said burglary victim Jessica Egelson.
But in the early morning hours of August 19, Egelson, her husband and two boys slept as burglars silently forced their way inside through their garage.
When they woke up they figured out something wasn't right.
She said the crooks entered her bedroom, with the couple just feet away, and stole jewelry off her dresser.
"The doors had been opened, like this," she showed us.
A large jewelry stand they kept in their bathroom was cleaned out.
Her purse was on the kitchen table. It too was gone, along with hundreds of dollars in gift cards and cash they had gotten at a recent family reunion.
"A lot of our wine was gone," she said.
Their SUV was also missing. The thieves found the keys and took off with their loot. It was found miles away in Titusville, with some of the stolen items still inside.
They thought that was the extent of the brazen theft. But the next day, Jessica figured something out that made her sick to her stomach.
"I realized my son's snake was missing," recalls Egelson.
That means the thieves had been just feet away from her 11 and 13-year-old boys as they slept in their beds. The crooks also took some change on their nightstand.
For Jessica, she's still uneasy, especially at night. She's grateful her family is OK, but has a message for her neighbors with the burglars still on the loose.
"Lock everything up and close everything down," she urged.
If you know anything about the break-ins, you're asked to call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477) or the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.