Car Burglary Reports Rise Countywide

Los Angeles County sheriffs Saturday reported an increase in the number of auto burglaries involving the suspect smashing a window to enter the vehicle.

"These types of vehicle burglaries occur in just a few seconds. The property is gone and the victim is left putting the pieces together, cancelling credit cards, and worrying about bank accounts," said Captain Mike Parker in a statement, which listed ways to avoid such burglaries.

Here are the tips from the sheriffs department:

• Ensure valuable items—such as purses, wallets, iPhones, GPS systems, and computers—are not left inside unattended vehicles. And even things that look valuable but aren't, can get your car broken into (sheriffs even said a department store shopping bag might only contain dirty laundry, but if it looks valuable, thieves could break in and steal it.)
• Make sure your vehicles are locked and parked in a well-lit area, even if it’s daylight when you park then will be dark when you return to the car.

Recent theft reports in the county seem to share several common factors, according to sheriffs:

• They occur in parking lots of local gyms during morning or evening peak workout hours.
• They also tend to occur when residents leave electronic items, purses, or wallets in plain view inside their parked car.
• Suspects normally watch the victim park their car and see them leave valuables inside.