Sedona AZ (June 16, 2015) – At about 6:30 this morning, June 16, 2015, a Coconino County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the report of a vehicle burglary in Pioneer Valley Estates, Pioneer Valley Road, Flagstaff, Arizona. The reporting party believed the crime occurred sometime after June 15 at 7:30 in the evening and the following morning at 6:00 a.m. The vehicle had been left unlocked and several items of value were stolen.

After taking the initial report, CCSO deputies drove the area and discovered an additional five vehicle burglaries. Several burglarized vehicle doors had been left open by the thief or thieves.

Many of the vehicle owners were asleep and unaware their property had been burgled. Due to similar physical evidence found at several of the crime scenes, CCSO believe all of the crimes were committed by the same suspect or group of suspects.

Vehicle burglaries also occurred in the Flagstaff area of Sunset Crater Estates on Moonbeam and Gemini. Items taken during those burglaries include a portable audio player, a satellite radio receiver, cash and loose change, and a firearm. All the victims told investigators that they left their vehicles unlocked.

During the investigations, deputies learned that locked vehicles located in close proximity to the burglarized vehicles were left untouched. It is not uncommon for individuals who commit vehicle burglaries to walk a neighborhood and check the doors of each vehicle. If a vehicle is locked, the thieves will move on until they find an unlocked vehicle.

Automobile burglary prevention, like all crime prevention, involves limiting the criminal’s ability and or opportunity to commit the crime. With very little time and effort, you can make a huge difference in your vulnerability to auto burglary.

Lock ALL your vehicle’s doors even if you plan to be gone for only a brief time. Every year, we have items stolen from unlocked vehicles where the owner was only going to be gone “just for a second.” It only takes seconds to steal your things! It’s not uncommon for thieves to walk down a row of parked vehicles and check vehicle doors to see if they are unlocked. Do not leave any window open or even cracked, including vent or wing windows and sunroofs.

Don’t leave valuables in your car. That sounds like common sense, but drivers and passengers do leave items of value in plain view every day. If you leave valuable items visible in your car, your car is automatically a target.

Try to park in busy, well-lit areas. Try to park in well-traveled areas. Large anonymous lots are hit by thieves much more often than parking immediately adjacent to residential housing or other occupied buildings.

Set any alarm or anti-theft device. If you have one, use it! Many people believe that car alarms no longer make a difference, but they can be an effective deterrent to an auto-burglar, who most often chooses the easiest target.

Mark your valuables! As a last line of defense (not really to prevent theft as much as to aid in recovery), mark your valuables. Recording serial numbers is dandy, but nowadays many serial numbers are on removable labels rather than engraved into valuable items. CCSO Sheriff Bill Pribil suggests inscribing and or engraving a “personal identifier” on all valuables.

Take Removable Equipment with You.  If you have an after-market stereo CD-player with a removable faceplate, remove it. Without the faceplate, the unit is less attractive or useful to many thieves, and harder to pawn or fence. If the unit can be pulled, pull it! Take it with you. Just covering a valuable radio (or ANY valuables in your car) with something (like a blanket or towel) to hide it will probably only draw thieves’ attention.

What Items are Most Commonly Stolen from Vehicles?

• Backpacks, gym bags, briefcases, day-planners
• Cash/coins, checkbooks and credit/debit cards
• Wallets and purses (even when hidden under a seat or in an unlocked glove compartment)
• Laptop computers, iPods and MP3 players (and docking stations)
• Cell phones (and chargers)
• Portable GPS navigation systems
• Stereo/CD players (and faceplates), amps, speakers (even when bolted down!)
• Jewelry, keys, mail (identity theft), tools
• Anything of obvious value

Report Suspicious Activity. If you see suspicious activity, report it to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 774-4523 or call 911.

What to do if something is stolen out of your car. As soon as you notice something’s stolen (or that your car has been broken into) do not touch/adjust anything in, on, or around the car. As soon as possible, call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office to report the incident or your local law enforcement agency or call 911.

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