Car Break-Ins on the Rise

Five cars were broken into late Thursday night or early Friday morning, at 375 Clifford Avenue in Watsonville. The cars were all parked in the same parking lot inside a gated community, according to Sgt. Eric Taylor of the Watsonville Police Department.

The windows of the cars were smashed with the ceramic piece from a spark plug, according to Sgt. Taylor. The cars appeared to be chosen at random, and the stereos were ripped from the dashboards, according to Sgt. Taylor. There was also one ipod stolen.

"It's that time of year," said Sgt. Taylor, referring to a common spike in break-ins and petty theft that he says occurs around the holidays.

To avoid being a victim of petty theft, Sgt. Taylor recommends not leaving anything of value in your car — especially not in plain view. He also recommends making sure your doors are locked, since theives often walk through neighborhoods trying door handles for unlocked cars.

"We actually get a lot of theft reported from people who forgot to lock their car doors," Sgt. Taylor said. 

There are no suspects at this time, but evidence was collected at the crime scene and investigation continues, according to Sgt. Taylor.