It may have been an upscale housing society on Perry Cross Road, Bandra (west), but it had minimal security, making it easy for the accused to enter the premises and break into a third-floor apartment. The accused entered the victim’s flat through a window despite the presence of a security guard, the police said. Only one watchman mans the seven-storey building, and he is posted at its 10-feet-high main gate. The watchman told the police that he was awake but did not hear the accused.

“We suspect that the accused jumped over the five-feet-high rear wall of the building and climbed over the barbed wires on the wall. He went up to the third-floor flat by stepping on the grills and using the pipes,” an official said, requesting anonymity.

The police said the accused had already entered a fourth floor flat in the building and robbed the family of Rs. 6,000 and a cellphone. He also tried to break into an adjacent bungalow, before entering her flat, which was easy as the glass windows were open and there were no grills.

“The fourth-floor flat too did not have grilled window so the accused entered by sliding it open. As for the bungalow, painting was in progress and the watchman and labourers were awake,” said the official.

The police said the German embassy was informed as the victim had got her visa from Germany and the embassy had provided her shelter.