Traveling thieves have hit Sharon for the first time this spring and police are warning people to take precautions.

A woman in the 400 block of Highland Road left her front door unlocked while she was working in her front yard at about 11:10 a.m. Wednesday, police said. The woman went inside her home and found another woman standing in her bedroom, police said.

When the resident asked the woman what she was doing, police said the woman, who spoke in broken English, said she was from Italy and some other unintelligible things. The woman then left through the front door, police said.

Nothing appeared to be missing from the home, police said.

Capt. Michael Menster said traveling thieves he described as "gypsies" have hit the area about this time of year for several years.

They tend to work in groups of three and have someone in a nearby vehicle for a fast getaway, he said. The itinerant thieves either sneak into homes undetected or use one person to distract the resident while another steals things, Menster said.

Menster said people should beware of anyone who wants to enter their home for any reason.

"People might want to lock their door when they're out working in their yard," Menster said.

Menster said the thieves have no history of violence and usually run when confronted. He said they use trickery and deceit to rob people.

The woman who entered the Highland Avenue home was described as white, between 50 and 60 years old and about 5 feet tall with a medium build. She had dark hair with some gray that was either cut short or pulled back.