Local law enforcement agencies warn of uptick in car break-ins, thefts

MIAMI VALLEY — Several law enforcement agencies are warning of an uptick in thefts in southern Montgomery and Warren counties.

News Center 7′s Kayla Courvell spoke with one victim who said she no longer feels safe, even in broad daylight.

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The victim, who did not want to be identified for safety reasons, said the suspects stole a weapon from a car sitting in her garage.

“Somehow we heard a noise in the garage and turned on live view of our outdoor camera and we saw someone running out of the garage to a vehicle parked out of the house,” the victim said.

She said it’s “scary” to know that a weapon used for protection could be used to harm someone.

“It’s crazy because this happened to us during the daylight. We’ve never felt unsafe in our neighborhood…A lot of people leave their garage door open for periods of time,” she said.

She’s not the only victim.

Another person in Centerville sent News Center 7 a video from a Ring camera.

In the video, you can see the same white car from the first security camera back into a driveway in the middle of the day.

Two people then jump out, open the doors of both cars in the driveway and spend seconds searching inside before jumping back in the car and driving away.

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In this instance, the victim said her husband had walked inside of their home less than a minute before they were targeted.

Both Clearcreek Township police and Springboro police say they’ve seen an increase in reports of car break-ins and thefts.

Detective Dustin Christian told News Center 7 the suspects are believed to be out of Cincinnati and between the ages of 13 and 19.

In Clearcreek Township, Detective Kevin Barton said people should remove valuables from vehicles and make sure they’re locked, as well as keep garage doors closed.

“I just hope my mistakes help other people learn not to do this. We thought we were safe, it was broad daylight. Even if you’re just around the back of your house cutting the grass, they were in our garage for less than a minute. That’s all it took for them to steal our property,” the victim said.

Police say if you come in contact with the suspects, do not approach them and call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information that could lead police to the suspects is asked to call Springboro or Clearcreek Township police departments.

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