Thieves going after unlocked cars in east side neighborhood
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Thieves are looking for easy targets and going after cars left unlocked in a neighborhood on the city’s east side.
Police are now investigating four separate cases that happened Thursday. The most recent happened at an apartment complex on Twin Oaks Drive.
24-Hour News 8 learned the thieves got away with tools, loose change and whatever they could find of value.
It’s still not clear whether there’s a connection between any of these cases, but police want to remind people to lock your doors so you don’t become a victim.
Some people living near Potomac and Wellington avenues said they would describe their neighborhood as quiet with the exception of a few things.
“There’s some kids running around playing, and you know, there ain’t too much trouble, but there has been some car break-ins though,” said one man.
The man and his two children did not want to be identified on camera. He said he too became a victim when someone got into his car about two weeks ago.
“They just shuffle around in the glove box stuff like that, took change and an old broke phone,” he said.
He said he was getting ready to leave for work that morning when he found a mess in the driveway.
“The door was cracked opened, and the trunk was all still popped open. It was never shut, and everything was just thrown kind of thrown all about the car, your papers and everything you had, sifting through everything,” he said.
According to police reports, four other people said the same thing happened to them Thursday, and they all made the mistake of leaving their doors unlocked.
“It’s typical for a young kid, I guess, but it still makes you uneasy though, you still don’t want to leave anything in your car,” he said.
Police said the first report came in Thursday around 7:19 a.m. on Potomac Avenue, then on Wellington Avenue, and then about an hour and a half later on Roseway Lane.
Around noon, a 60-year-old man told police he was doing maintenance on an apartment building on Twin Oaks Drive. He said when he came back out, his tools were gone from his truck.
The reports are not surprising for people who live in the neighborhood.
“Not really no, around the east side of Indianapolis so it’s pretty much everywhere,” he said.
The maintenance worker told police he believes a teenager may be responsible for the theft.
Again, police are reminding people to leave your doors locked and don’t leave anything valuable in your car.
