SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) – Sarasota police have put the brakes on a massive car burglary ring. They arrested four people accused of breaking into about 40 cars within a 24-hour period.
Now police need help locating the victims, as not a single one has come forward so far. If you are a victim, call the Sarasota Police Department.
The burglaries occurred in downtown Sarasota. Police say 18-year-old Matthew Gunn and three other teens skipped school Monday and Tuesday to go “car hopping.”
The suspected crooks wandered through parking garages, picking at door handles. When a car was open, they’d rush inside and take anything they could find.
“We’re making this easy by leaving our car doors open and in this instance, this is what those kids did,” Sarasota Police Captain Corinne Stannish said.
The band of thieves went to three parking garages: The BB&T Bank Garage on 2nd Street, and the Hollywood 20 and Wells Fargo Bank garages on Main Street.
Officers have recovered money, phones and electronics, all stuff victims may not even realize they’re missing.
“We are currently working on finding exactly how many victims we have,” Captain Stannish said.
Car burglaries have become a big problem in Sarasota, police say. “Criminals are opportunists; they’re looking for the easy mark. They’re looking for vehicles that are left unlocked,” Police Chief Bernadette DiPino said.
Nationwide, more than $1.2 billion worth of personal items are stolen from vehicles each year.MORE STORIES YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN:
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