POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY, Kan. (WIBW) -- Detectives with the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office are investigating several rural residential burglaries north of Manhattan along Junietta Road and Blue River Road.

Captain Gerald Schmidt, the agency’s lead detective, estimates the loss to be between $15-20,000 worth of items in three separate break-ins.

“One or more people, more like two, have been targeting houses when the people are at work and there’s no one home and forcing entry and stealing laptop computers, TVs, video game systems, games, jewelry, cash… We wanted to alert residents that this has been happening,” he told WIBW.

Residents are encouraged to call 911 if they notice any suspicious activity in their area.