Sgt. Richard Wheeler of the RNC said it is likely money, while a victim of two vehicles invaded overnight Wednesday thinks it might be electronics of other small valueable items.
Those two vehicles sat in the driveway of Lisa Freake, who lives on Macdonald Brown Drive. She said both vehicles were left unlocked, while a third locked vehicle was not entered.
She said a vehicle in her driveway was also entered last summer. She typically locks her vehicles, calling this week’s slip an accident, and avoids leaving anything of significant value inside them.
Items from the glove box were thrown on the floor and seats of the vehicle, and a backpack was taken but found thrown away just up the street.
“I feel violated,” she said. “It is not nice knowing that people are going around looking for stuff and had been in our vehicles. It is not nice, especially in a neighbourhood which is supposed to be a nice neighbourhood.”
Freake said the break-ins definitely happened overnight while they were asleep.
The RNC received reports of 11 break-ins of vehicles in the Sunnyslope area of Corner Brook overnight Wednesday. It follows a series of break and entries into three vehicles reported on Pratt Street, Shamrock Crescent and a damaged truck found on Lundrigan Drive Sunday night. There was also a truck stolen from Pratt Street that same night.
Although the crimes can be considered similar, especially given not much in particular was reportedly kept by the culprits, Wheeler said there is nothing to link the break-ins from Sunday and Wednesday nights at this time.
Sunday night, some items taken from one vehicle were found discarded in the others. Of the 11 vehicles broken into overnight Wednesday, Wheeler said only a small amount of money from one of the vehicles was reported stolen. All the vehicles in the Macdonald Brown Drive, Sunnyslope Drive and Valleyview Drive areas of the city had been left unlocked.
Wheeler said it is important for people to lock their vehicles, describing the incidents as “grab and runs.” He said one vehicle even had the keys left inside, and it was not taken.
Anybody with information that could assist in these investigations can contact the RNC at 637-4100 or Crime Stoppers at 1- 800-222-TIPS (8477). Information can also be provided online at www.nlcrimestoppers.com.
Meanwhile, the Deer Lake RCMP have also been receiving numerous complaints concerning break-ins and thefts from vehicles in the area.
After a rash of recent break-ins to vehicles, a search warrant was executed Thursday at a Deer Lake residence. A 21-year-old man was then arrested and charged with possession of stolen property and breaches of probation and a court undertaking.
The RCMP reported recovering a large amount of stolen property from that residence — the value of which was estimated at more than $5,000. The accused was held in custody, and is expected to appear in provincial court in Corner Brook today.
churley@thewesternstar.com
Twitter: WS_CoryHurley
