By John Howell Sr.

For Ballentine Road residents Jeremiah and Christy Harper, Friday, May 11 may have been like deja vu — all over again. They returned home to find the back door of their home kicked in and a number of items stolen — just like they had on Thursday, April 19.

The Harpers are now twice in less than a month victims of house burglars, and Panola sheriff’s deputy Carlton Hays is asking for help from the public.

Hays, who is the sheriff’s department coordinator for Crimestoppers of North Central Mississippi, believes that someone saw something or knows something that would help investigators. A cash reward of up to $1,000 is available to anyone who provides useful information.

Call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-729-2169. The caller does not have to give his or her name.

Both burglaries were discovered when the Harpers returned home after being away during the daytime. Though the burglars gained entrance both times by smashing through the back door, deputies believed that in the April 19 burglary, the burglars first tried to kick open the front door.

The victims provided an extensive list of items taken. In the April 19 burglary, the list included at least eight firearms, among them an Enfield 1918 .303 caliber bolt action rifle, a New England .45-70 rifle, a Savage Arms 7mm-08 rifle, a Colt M4 rifle, a Marlin .22 rifle, an Arisol sniper rifle, a Winchester 12 gauge shotgun, and a New England .243 caliber rifle.

The April 19 burglars also took a Dell laptop computer, an X-Box 360 and controls, and two rifle scopes — a Simmons and a Buckmaster.

During the May 11 burglary, burglars again took firearms — two 35 Whelen rifles, a Winchester .270 caliber Winchester bolt action rifle with scope, a Maverick 12 gauge shotgun and a Thompson .50 caliber muzzle loader. The second burglary also netted the thieves a JVC flat screen TV, a laptop computer and more X-Box equipment among the loot.

Sheriff’s department investigators said that someone probably knows someone who has been trying to sell the firearms, Hays said.

Or someone may have noticed daytime activity around the home at 8693 Ballentine Road, about one-half mile east of its intersection with Macedonia Road.

That information can be worth cash.