Police Reports: Lock Your Doors, Hide the Valuables

A Rash of Thefts

Police remind residents to lock their car doors and to take their valuables with them whenever possible. There have been several incidents of thefts from unlocked vehicles over the past two weeks.

Lt. Brian McCauley said taking a GPS unit off its holder is not enough, because a thief who notices the holder knows if he smashes the window, he may be able to find a GPS unit somewhere inside.

While locking car doors does not guarantee a car will not be broken into, it makes the vehicle less of a target, because thieves look for the easiest marks.

On Wednesday, a Willowbrook Circle resident told police her silver Apple iPod and its USB cord were stolen from her unlocked Toyota sometime between 5 p.m. Tuesday and 6:31 p.m. Wednesday. The total value of stolen items was estimated at $250.

In another incident reported on Deepwood Circle Wednesday, a $259 Garmond GPS unit, a $100 pair of Maui Gym sunglasses and $20 in change were stolen from an unlocked Chevy.

Last week, three Big Y employees had reported thefts from their vehicles in the parking lot of the Monroe Turnpike shopping center. In all three cases the doors were left unlocked.

Stolen items included a $395 iPod Touch, a $100 iPod Touch, a $150 Texas Instruments calculator, a car stereo faceplate, a $150 Tom Tom GPS unit, a Verizon cell phone and a woman's Big Y work-shirt.

A Stolen Flagpole

A $100 flagpole was reported stolen Thursday from outside the Stevenson Post Office, 281 Cottage Street. An employee told police it had been missing since Aug. 6.

The aluminum flagpole had previously broken off of the building and was stored on the side of the Post Office when it was stolen.

A Series of Dents

Officers on patrol noticed a 2006 Ford Fusion parked alongside the road in the 200 block of Elm Street at 11 a.m. Wednesday and stopped to see if the driver was okay.

The driver, an 18-year-old Shelton woman, told police her car just died, according to the report. But police said she also told them it had been vandalized when it was parked outside a friend's house on Gay Bower Road the night before.

Officers noticed several dents: one on the hood, a large one on the rear passenger side, a small one on the front passenger side and one on the rear driver's side door, according to the report.

Police said the woman did not know if her vehicle suddenly shutting off had anything to do with the vandalism.