Crime & Safety
Four More Neighborhoods Hit With Car Thefts
Inside the Police Reports: A victim said two males were seen walking away from his home after the car theft, a similar description of the suspects in a previous string of thefts.
During the early morning hours of Aug. 15, four more Lilburn neighborhoods were hit with a line of car thefts, resulting in a stolen car and more than a thousand of dollars worth of items taken. This time, the thefts took place around Lake Lucerne Road and Highway 78, and all cars were unlocked.
One victim, residing off the 4000 block of Alpine Drive, said his granddaughter walked outside at 4 a.m. after seeing their car lights on and saw two white males walking toward Lake Lucerne Road. In , one victim caught two white males on his surveillance camera entering his car and his neighbor's car.
"Patterns like this are looked at by our crime analysis unit and the detectives assigned the case," said Gwinnett Police spokesman Cpl. Jake Smith. Smith said it's "certainly a possibility" that the similarities between the crimes are definitely something officers keep in mind.
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In the Alpine Drive case, the suspect(s) ended up stealing a $30 baby blanket from the trunk. The victim's daughter also had her car broken into, and about $25 in change and bills were taken, in addition to the ash tray where the money was. Surprisingly, the suspects did not take the GPS in the glovebox.
In the same neighborhood, a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe was stolen on the 1800 block of Lake Lucerne Drive. The vehicle's owner said she leaves a spare key in her center console and may have left the doors unlocked. The car had $300 worth of football equipment, a $300 Garmin GPS and two iPods worth $300.
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The Oleander subdivision also reported three thefts that took place on Bentwood Drive and Acuba Court. An iPod and three packs of cigarettes were stolen, and one victm said that the suspect(s) ransacked her vehicles by entering a broken door in her garage. A $200 GPS and $140 in cash were stolen.
Another neighborhood on Lucerne Lane and Lucerne Place had two reports. One hundred dollars worth of costume jewelry and $30 in cash were taken.
The last neighborhood, on Morning Crest Drive, reported only one theft where one pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers were taken, worth $150.
