CCSO arrests three in vehicle thefts, issues warning to car and home owners

MEDIA RELEASE

Sheriff’s Detectives Arrest Three for Auto Burglaries

Flagstaff AZ- On July 7, 2011 Coconino County Sheriff’s Detectives arrested three men of Flagstaff for multiple counts of auto burglary.  Arrested was a twenty year-old male and two seventeen year-old males.  The detective, who was assigned to investigate auto burglary cases that occurred in the Pioneer Valley Neighborhood as well as a housing area located off of Burris Lane , received information from a concerned citizen regarding some of the incidents.  The caller provided first names of two of the potential suspects and first and last name of the third individual.  According to the caller the suspects committed numerous burglaries from automobiles and were attempting to sell the stolen items on Craig’s List. 

The detective researched Craig’s List and found a pair of designer sunglasses posted for sale with a contact email address and telephone number for the seller.  The description of the sunglasses listed for sale was very similar to an item listed in one of the crime reports as being stolen.  The investigator made numerous attempts to contact this person to no avail.  Further investigation revealed a possible address on one of the identified individuals.  Upon their arrival at the residence detectives spoke with the parent of one of the possible suspects and subsequently spoke to the suspect. 

Detectives were able to identify and contact all three suspects who admitted to being involved in at least six auto burglaries.  The individuals accompanied detectives as they drove to various residences where the suspects identified specific items they took from vehicles at each location.  The property descriptions provided by the suspects matched the stolen items.  The suspects directed detectives to homes located on Heritage, Legacy, Patriot, Green Paradise, and at the end of Burris Lane . 

According to the suspects they would walk down a street and rattle the door handles of each vehicle.  In the event the vehicle was locked they simply passed it by, entering only unlocked vehicles.  The suspects were looking for items that would provide a quick turn around for cash such as MP-3 players, car stereo equipment, GPS units, cash or loose change, and sunglasses.  A total of seventeen items including the sunglasses posted on Craig’s List were recovered.  According to one of the suspects, he left a stolen MP-3 player in his parked vehicle and when he returned he discovered that his vehicle had been burglarized and the MP-3 player that he had stolen was stolen from him.

All of the victims of these six burglaries have been contacted and the owners of all the recovered items have been identified.  Detectives are continuing this investigation to determine if the suspects were involved in any other pending criminal cases.  The identity and booking photo of the twenty year-old suspect is being withheld until the investigation has concluded. 

Unfortunately this group of criminals is not the only ring of burglars that are walking through neighborhoods looking for unlocked vehicles.  These opportunistic criminals, like many others, will victimize you if you make it easy for them such as leaving you vehicle or your home unlocked or leaving valuable items of property in plain site in an unattended vehicle. 

 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 stuff! It's not at all uncommon for thieves to walk down a row of parked vehicles and check vehicle doors to see if they are unlocked. Don't leave any window open or even cracked open, including vent/wing windows, and sunroofs.

 Don't leave valuables in your car. That sounds like "common sense," but drivers/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.

 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. Sheriff Bill Pribil suggests inscribing/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/useful to many thieves and harder to "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.

 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.