DARIEN, Conn. Every Darien Police cruiser is adorned with a simple reminder on its back window: "Lock your car. Every time. Everywhere." In the wake of thefts from six unlocked cars on the same road last week, the Darien Police hope their warning can help prevent one of the town's most common crimes.
On Tuesday morning, July 26, police received five reports of car break-ins on Sunset Road. The incidents are believed to have occurred between 10 p.m. on July 25 and 5 a.m. the next day. On Wednesday, police received a sixth report of a car break-in during the same time period.
Three of the cars belonged to one household. Among the missing items were a $500 Garmin GPS, a $400 radar detector, a $50 Sirius satellite radio, a cell phone charger and cash. One resident reported hearing footsteps and voices around 12:15 a.m.
Thieves striking unlocked cars is nothing new in Darien. This year there have been over 20 cases of unlocked cars being broken into, in both commercial lots and private driveways. In most cases, thieves will go after electronics, such as cell phones and GPS units. However, they have been known to grab anything they can find, including jewelry, sunglasses, wallets, loose change and golfing equipment.
In two cases this year, the burglars skipped going through the cars for valuables and instead took the cars.
The thieves don't always get away with it, though. Louis Gonzalez of Stamford was arrested back in April following a theft from an unlocked car. Officers found between $500 and $1,000 worth of stolen items in his car and were able to link him to a number of other car burglaries.
Darien Police Capt. Fred Komm's advice was simple and to the point: "Lock your car!"
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