Darien police, who had previously announced that five vehicles had been stolen last week, and a total of 11 entered, on Tuesday provided details about those incidents and three more over the weekend.

All of the vehicles appear to have been unlocked, and the stolen ones also had keys inside.

In almost all cases, the thefts seem to have occurred overnight. Darien police included a statement again reminding residents to lock their cars, and provided some additional information about the problem of unlocked vehicles (published here at the bottom of the article).

Five Vehicles Stolen

Darien Railroad Station—Daytime—Tuesday, July 2

A 2019 Land Rover Valar was stolen from the lot nearest the eastbound tracks (the side next to Dunkin Donuts). The victim said the vehicle was parked there at 4:55 a.m. and was missing when he returned at 7:05 p.m.

The victim said he had left his key fob under the driver’s seat but that he had locked the vehicle. There were no signs of forced entry (such as broken glass) where the Land Rover was parked.

28 Fairfield Ave.—Overnight Thursday-Friday, July 4-5

A 2012 Dodge Charger was parked overnight outside 28 Fairfield Ave. with the key fob in it. A second vehicle, a 2011 Dodge Journey, also in the driveway and also unlocked, was entered, but nothing in it seemed to be missing.

29 Cherry St.—Overnight Thursday-Friday, July 4-5

A 2011 Subaru Outback, unlocked and with the keys inside, was parked outside 29 Cherry St. at 3 p.m., Thursday, then stolen sometime between then and the next morning in front of the victim’s house. The call reporting the theft came to police at 9:32 a.m. on Friday.

22 Searles Road—Overnight Friday to Saturday, July 5-6

A 2017 Audi Q7 had been left unlocked outside with the keys inside on Friday night, and by Saturday morning, the owner realized it was stolen.

At 8:20 a.m., the family’s au-pair noticed it was missing but didn’t know it was stolen. The theft was reported to police at 9:49 a.m.

1020 Post Road—Overnight Saturday to Sunday, July 6 to 7

A 2013 Ford Explorer, parked unlocked and with the keys in it was stolen sometime overnight. The matter was reported to police at 6:49 a.m.

The car was found in the Bronx on Monday, July 8 by New York City police. Darien police detectives went to the scene on Tuesday, July 9 to examine the vehicle for evidence.

Nine Other Vehicles Entered

In only three of these nine cases, items were reported stolen:

34 Dickinson Road—Overnight, Wednesday to Thursday, July 3-4

A wallet holding $800 in cash, a driver’s license and several bank cards were all stolen from a 2018 Nissan Rogue parked overnight and unlocked in the driveway of 34 Dickinson Road. The theft was reported to police at 3:42 p.m.

17 Fairfield Ave.—Thursday to Friday, July 4-5

A Subaru parked overnight outside 17 Fairfield Ave. and unlocked was entered, and the contents of the glove box were removed, but nothing seemed to be missing, the victim told police at 8:32 a.m., Friday.

31 Cherry St.—Thursday to Friday, July 4-5

A 2017 Nissan Pathfinder parked outside overnight and unlocked outside 31 Cherry St. was entered. Nothing seemed to be missing, but the contents of the center console and glove box were later found on the seats. Police found out about the incident at 10:11 a.m., Friday.

30 Cherry St.—Thursday to Friday, July 4-5

Someone entered a 2012 Toyota Prius left unlocked while it was parked outside overnight. Nothing seemed to be missing, but the contents of both the glove box and center console were found on the seats in the morning. The incident was reported at 10:20 a.m., Friday.

26 Cherry St.—Thursday to Friday, July 4-5

A 2019 Chevrolet Traverse, parked outside and unlocked, was entered sometime overnight. Nothing seemed to be missing, but the contents of the center console and glove box were found on the seats. Police learned of the matter at 10:39 a.m., Friday.

64 Fitch Ave.—Thursday to Friday, July 4-5

A 2014 Toyota Sienna minivan, parked outside and unlocked, was entered. Nothing appeared to be missing, but the contents of the glove box and center console were found on the seats. Police received the report at 11:09 a.m.

21 Fairfield Ave.—Thursday to Friday, July 4-5

A 2018 Mazda CX compact SUV, parked outside 21 Fairfield Ave. and unlocked was entered sometime overnight from Thursday to Friday, with the contents of the console and glove box left on the front seats. Nothing seemed to be missing. Police found out about the matter at 2:13 p.m.

18 Joseph St.—Thursday to Friday, July 4-5

A 2006 Ford Escape, parked outside 18 Joseph St. and unlocked, was entered sometime overnight, and about $2 in change was missing. The contents of the glove box and center console were found on the seats. At 3:30 a.m., the victim told police, he had heard his car alarm sound and looked outside, but didn’t see anything.

20 Cherry St.—Thursday to Friday, July 4-5

A pair of Ray Ban sunglasses, softball equipment and some golf equipment, a loss valued at about $1,000, were all missing from a 2016 Nissan Rogue parked outside 20 Cherry St. overnight and unlocked. In the morning, the doors were found slightly ajar. The theft was reported to police at 4:58 p.m.

Police Statement

With the summer in full swing, it appears that Darien has once again become the target of vehicle burglars and thieves.

The Darien Police remain committed to investigating these crimes as they occur, but in the interest of safety, we’d prefer that Darien wasn’t seen as a “soft target” for perpetrators.

In addition to the theft of physical items, the Darien Police see many identity-theft and fraud issues stemming from the taking of personal items in these incidents.

The theft of a person’s identity can cause a ripple effect of crime that is often times difficult to stop and/or measure.

Things such as identification cards, licenses, bank cards, checks, bills, personal papers, etc. can be used for a large number of financial crimes.

As always we remind citizens to:

—Lock your vehicle at all times

—Active vehicle security system

—Don’t store primary or secondary keys in the vehicle

—Don’t store valuable items in your vehicle  If suspicious activity or persons are observed, call the Darien Police as soon as possible

—Make sure any security camera systems you have installed in your home are in good working order and pointed in useful directions

—Take advantage of subscriptions offered by your vehicle manufacturer that “connect” the vehicle (i.e.- On Star)

These simple steps can protect you from dealing with a missing vehicle, stolen personal property, missing cash, identity theft, bank fraud, and more. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.