Police Investigate Rash Of Thefts From Vehicles

By Andrew Gorosko

Police are investigating a recent rash of thefts from vehicles in which unknown persons have opened unlocked vehicles in residential areas, typically during an overnight period, and have stolen small valuable items from the vehicles.

Last year, the town experienced a similar streak of thefts from vehicles which largely occurred in Sandy Hook. The recent series of thefts, however, took place in scattered locations including Dodgingtown, Botsford, and the Borough.

Police Sergeant Douglas Wisentaner said this week it is unclear who has been stealing the small valuable items from unlocked vehicles. Such incidents have become more common throughout the region recently, he noted.

Police urge that residents not leave any valuable items in their vehicles, which should be kept locked when they are unattended.

Even if valuable items are kept locked within a vehicle’s trunk, if that vehicle’s doors are left unlocked, a thief can simply open an unlocked door and gain access to the trunk from within the auto’s passenger compartment, either via a trunk-release latch or by lowering the seatbacks of the rear seat, according to police.

The theft targets in such crimes typically are cash, loose change, credit cards, digital media players, cellphones, compact discs, satellite navigation devices, satellite radios, and other small valuable items.

Among the pending cases, police are investigating several instances of thefts from vehicles that occurred in Dodgingtown sometime during the April 30–May 1 period in the area of Webster Place and Brookwood Drive.

Police said someone opened unlocked vehicles that were parked in residential driveways and stole items from within the vehicles. People with information on the thefts are asked to contact investigating Officer Felicia Figol at 426-5841, or to leave a message at the police tip line at 270-8888.

Also, sometime between 8:30 pm on April 28 and 7:15 am on April 29, someone entered an unspecified number of unlocked vehicles in the Winton Farm Road area and stole items from within them, police said.

Police ask anyone with information on the crimes to contact Officer John McDermott.

Also, sometime overnight on April 28–29. someone illegally entered an unlocked vehicle that was parked in a residential driveway on Lazybrook Road. Lazybrook Road is a dead-end street extending from Meadowbrook Road.

No items were stolen from within the vehicle. The incident is being investigated as a case of attempted sixth-degree larceny. Police ask anyone with information on the incident to contact Officer Todd Dingee.

Sometime between 11 am and 3:30 pm on April 25, someone entered an unlocked vehicle parked in a parking lot at 11 Queen Street and was thus able to gain access to the vehicle’s trunk and steal items from within it, according to police.

The thief stole a Compaq-brand CQ70-211 laptop computer, a Fujifilm-brand A-920 camera, an Apple-brand 2-gigabyte iPod Nano digital music player, and a passport, police said.

Police ask anyone with information on the incident to contact Officer John McCluskey.