Remember to Lock Vehicles and Remove High-Dollar Items and Garage Door Openers

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Remember to Lock Vehicles and Remove High-Dollar Items and Garage Door Openers

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office reminds residents to remove high-dollar items and garage door openers from vehicles when left unattended due to recent incidents in the South Riding community.

During the overnight hours between September 10-11, unknown suspect(s) entered four vehicles in the area of Spyder Place and Kimberly Rose Drive in South Riding. On Spyder Drive the suspect(s) entered a vehicle and used a garage door opener to open the garage door to a residence. The suspect(s) then entered the home through an interior garage door and removed a purse containing a wallet and credit cards. Other items taken include two cell phones and a digital camera. Three more vehicles were entered on Kimberly Rose Drive. In one case, the suspect(s) again entered a vehicle parked outside of the home and used a garage door opener to open the garage door. Inside the garage they entered a car. Nothing was taken in this case. Two more vehicles were entered in this area. The suspect(s) removed a digital camera and headphones from one of the vehicles.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Unit is offering residents several tips for deterring thefts from vehicles:

KEEP YOUR VEHICLE LOCKED. Most stolen items are taken from vehicles that are left unlocked.
Remove all items from your vehicle, including garage door openers, when not in use. When you cannot do this, put the items out of sight (inside a lockable glove box or trunk). If your vehicle has an integrated garage door opener, please try to park your vehicle in the garage.
A visible GPS unit is an obvious target, but car prowlers also look for any signs that one may be inside your vehicle, such as a mount on the window or dashboard. Even the circle impression left on the windshield from the suction cup mount is enough for thieves to break-in. They assume a GPS is hidden somewhere inside. Please try to rid your unattended vehicle of all tell-tale signs.
Park inside your garage, if available, and keep the garage locked. Or, try to park your vehicle near or under an illuminated area.

Residents are also encouraged to register high-dollar items such as GPS units and MP3 players with the manufacturer and have the serial number available for the responding deputy if a theft occurs. This may assist with recovering the item in the event of a larceny.

Anyone with information about the perpetrators of these crimes is asked to contact the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 703-777-0475. If the caller wishes to remain anonymous they should call Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919. If the information provided leads to an arrest and indictment, the caller could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.