'I feel violated': Moorestown family terrified after intruder breaks into home while they slept

MOORESTOWN, N.J. - Terrifying moments for a South Jersey woman when, she says, an intruder broke into her home while she was fast asleep, only waking up to an alert on her phone.

"I feel very violated. My entire family feels extremely violated," Jessica Goralski stated.

Goralski, of Moorestown, New Jersey, recounts the real-life nightmare that unfolded around 2:30 Wednesday morning, when her mom woke up to an alert that an intruder was inside their North Stanwick Road home. The family of four jolted out of bed, horrified.

"She saw that the door was swung open. She ran outside and saw the fence to our gate was open in our backyard," Goralski explained.

The man was gone. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The Goralski’s later realized they caught the suspect on surveillance cameras. "From the video, he definitely knew where he was going and he was on the phone. I don’t know if somebody was telling him where to go, if someone had been here before. The entire situation is very unsettling."

Investigators say they think the intruder entered through an unsecured back door. He took off with a purse and two cell phones. Jessica says she lost more than that – the priceless sense of security inside her own home stolen, too.

"Last night, I barely slept because I was just like, so worried that they were gonna come back," Goralski said.

Moorestown police say it was one of several crimes Wednesday morning. An hour prior, there was an attempted burglary a couple of blocks away, on East Oak Avenue. The same night, several unlocked cars were rummaged through.

"It’s absolutely concerning. We are taking it very seriously, increasing patrols in the affected areas," stated Lt. Howard Mann, with Moorestown police.

Lt. Mann says they appear to be crimes of opportunity and people need to be careful. "Keep everything locked up. Doors and windows locked."

"Just makes you feel a little unsafe," Lisa Lee said.

Lee says people move to Moorestown because it’s a safe community. The burglaries have residents on heightened alert.

"It’s unsettling when it happens to your neighbors," Lee added."