On October 26, thieves made their way around town, helping themselves to items in an unlocked car parked at Wal-Mart and using a rock to smash car windows in the parking lots of TJ Maxx and Pinebrook Park.
In addition, residents reported several other thefts from unlocked cars and from a picnic table at Pinebrook Park.
Summit County Sheriff’s Lt Andrew Wright said the Wal-Mart, TJ Maxx and Pinebrook Park events seem to be connected. A stolen purse had an air tag in it that was trackable. That showed the suspect leaving Walmart, going to TJ Maxx, then Pinebrook, then heading down to Salt Lake County.
The rocks thrown through windows is a disturbing ratcheting up of thieves’ efforts to get into people’s cars. It’s also relatively rare. Wright said the majority of all cases the sheriff’s office is investigating involve unlocked cars.
Wright said he continues to educate the community about the reality of property crime in the area.
"Unfortunately it's happening during daylight hours now," he said. "With the holidays approaching when people go to the outlets and go to Walmart and Best Buy and all that to do all their retail shopping they don't want their stuff stolen. They need to kind of be be alert."
He offered the following tips as a reminder:
- Either take your valuables out of your car when you’re
- not in it or at least secure them in the trunk or back area where they’re out of sight.
- Always lock your car doors, even if you’re parked at home. Always.
- At night try to park under lighting or motion lights.
- Call the sheriff’s office immediately (435)615-3601 if you hear or see anything
suspicious.