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Police investigating rash of car break-ins on southeast side

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Police are investigating a rash of break-ins after neighbors in Franklin Township reported waking up to smashed windows and items stolen from their vehicles.

The first incident occurred on Wednesday, and five others were reported within a day.

All of the break-ins occurred in subdivisions off of Five Points Road, between Southport Road and Edgewood Avenue.

“They broke the trim here when they broke this,” said John Campbell, who showed off the damage on his SUV.

Harginder Pel Singh said he woke up to the same damage: “When I go to work in the morning around 7, I see a broken window, and the trunk was open and my paperwork was all out.”

At least six people reported thefts to police. Campbell told police he parked his SUV in the driveway, instead of the garage.

“The car was parked outside because we had work done on the house,” he explained.

The thieves shattered one window, along with causing other damage: “They couldn’t get in there, but they cracked the window itself. So it’s got like the spiderweb effect on it.”

They also broke into Campbell’s wife’s car. The Campbells say thieves got away with a check, made payable to their auto loan provider. Campbell stopped payment on it.

In an adjoining neighborhood, an insurance adjuster was assessing the damage on Singh’s car.

“I lived here almost eight years, never this happened,” Singh said, “This is the first time that happened.”

The thieves got away with Singh’s change.

He runs a business, so he had $500 in quarters and $100 in nickels. He also found his window in his yard. It appeared to be neatly cut out. None of that concerns Singh more than what could’ve happened.

“If they get here to the driveway, they can get to the home too,” he worried.

But before worse can happen, these victims said they’re making adjustments to ensure any future break-in has a different ending.

“We just called ADT (security), and we’re going to put ADT and cameras in here,” Singh said.

“My car’s back in the garage. Her car will end up in the garage this weekend,” said Campbell.

Police are not sure if the cases are connected.

If you have any information that could help in this investigation, call Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.

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