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Abandoned Home Drawing Vandals, Fear In Flossmoor

FLOSSMOOR, Ill. (CBS) -- An abandoned home in south suburban Flossmoor has become a symbol of the economic times, and is the center of attention for all the wrong reasons.

As WBBM Newsradio's Dave Berner reports, thieves and vandals have been having their way with the empty house on 2 Hampton Ct. Police have been called for vandalism at the home four times this summer, according to the SouthtownStar.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Dave Berner reports

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Rick Thomas, a resident who lives in the neighborhood of what is described as nice homes, tells the SouthtownStar his wife has been "scared to death" about the activity at the house, which includes the dismantling of copper piping and even the theft of the furnace.

Authorities tell the SouthtownStar that the village has been dealing with break-ins for months, and some attribute the increase to recent foreclosures.

Some propose fining the property owners each time the police are called out, but others say that won't work if the homeowners are already facing financial troubles, the newspaper reported.

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