Community Notification- Recent Vehicle Burglaries
Car burglaries are difficult cases to solve, since burglars usually leave very little physical evidence behind after a car burglary has occurred. It takes less than a minute to enter an unlocked vehicle and remove items left inside. Often there are no witnesses to these offenses because of the ease and speed. The crimes usually occur on residential streets and driveways at night, when it is less likely the thieves will be seen.
On August 28, 2023, the Lindenhurst Police Department responded to nine (9) reports of vehicles that had been unlawfully entered overnight in the 400 block of Northgate Rd., 300 block of High Point Dr., 1800 block of Prairie Ridge Cir., and 2200 block of Ridgeland Dr. In a few instances, items were stolen from inside the vehicle. A vehicle theft was reported in the 2000 block of Fairfield Rd. All of the vehicles had been left unlocked prior to the unlawful entry and the vehicle keys were left inside the vehicle that was stolen.
The subjects are described as younger African American/Hispanic males wearing hooded sweatshirts and dark colored pants. If you have information that may lead to the identification and apprehension of the offenders in these incidents, please call the Lindenhurst Police Department at (847) 356-5400.
In order to help reduce the risk of becoming a victim of a car burglary or auto theft, we have provided some easy tips to follow:
- DO NOT leave your keys in your vehicle. Thieves are taking vehicles left in open or unsecured garages.
- ALWAYS close your windows, sun roofs and lock your car doors. An open window or unlocked door is an invitation to a criminal.
- ACTIVATE your car alarm.
- PARK in well-lit areas. Turn on outside lighting.
- REMOVE loose valuables from your vehicle, including purses, wallets, cellular phones, laptop computers, and briefcases. A car burglar loves to see items that can be grabbed easily and carried away without much effort. They may even break a window to retrieve these items. If it is not feasible to take larger articles with you, lock your valuables in the trunk or glove box PRIOR to arriving at your destination; often the burglars are in the area watching you “hide” your valuables.
- TAKE loose garage door openers with you. These openers, combined with your vehicle registration documentation, facilitates breaking into your garage and/or home at a later time.
- REPORT suspicious persons seen wandering around in parking lots or looking into cars. You can even call and remain anonymous.
- SCAN the surrounding area before entering your vehicle. Be aware of your surroundings, and check the interior of your vehicle.
For the full press release, please visit the Village communications page.