Colleyville

North Texas Police Deal with Car Break-Ins

Police are looking for the man responsible for a string of car break-ins outside several Flower Mound fitness centers.

Investigators believe the suspect watches specifically for women to park their cars and enter the gym, and they say that’s when he strikes.

“It’s horrible,” said Kylie Riggs, a member at one Flower Mound gym. “You can’t even relax and enjoy yourself anymore. You have to be on guard the whole time.”

But the suspect’s crime spree has spread well beyond Flower Mound. Police believe he has also struck cars in Plano, Highland Village, Southlake and Colleyville since September.

“You need to be aware. You need to look at your surroundings,” said Linda Smith, a member at one Flower Mound gym.

Police said the man takes purses and other valuables, and if he gets his hands on a credit card he uses it immediately before the account is closed.

“You can’t leave your stuff in the car,” said Riggs. “You got to bring it with you. You can’t hide it anymore.”

Meanwhile, Carrollton police are looking for the person or people who broke into at least four vehicles within a few blocks of each other over the weekend.

On Sunday night, officers got reports of three vehicles burglarized at the Advantage Sports Complex along northbound Interstate 35E.

Police said windows on the cars were broken and expensive items were stolen from inside, including a camera, iPad and a firearm. A short time later a fourth vehicle was burglarized and stolen at the La Hacienda Ranch restaurant just up the service road.

Management at Advantage said they were hosting a large tournament at the time and the parking lot was packed with hundreds of vehicles while parents and spectators watched the futsal games inside.

"I think any time you have a big parking lot with 800-plus cars you are a target,” said president of ASC John Sample.

Carrollton police said athletic complexes, parks and other busy gathering places are common sites for crimes like these.

"It's a crime of opportunity for these criminals. They know that parents, spectators are going to be in the building for a certain amount of time,” said police department spokeswoman Jolene DeVito. "They broke windows, and it did not take them long to get a lot of valuable items from these victims."

Sample said it’s been some time since they’ve dealt with this type of crime, but despite heavy security in the parking lot it can happen from time to time. His team has long posted “hide, lock, take” signs on site and encouraged visitors to keep items out of view in their parked vehicles. He said they also plan to increase security for this weekend’s events in case the criminal would decide to come back.

Police agencies are encouraging people to lock their vehicles, take valuables with them and, if necessary, hide items in their cars out of plain sight.

DeVito encouraged people who need to hide items to do so before they get to their destination, as criminals have been known to watch parking lots to see where people are stashing goods.

Anyone with information in any of the break-ins is asked to contact your local police.

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