Several thefts were discovered on Friday from 17 unlocked cars and sport utility vehicles entered overnight — 13 on Allen O’Neill Drive and four more on Herman Avenue, two blocks to the east.
The 17 vehicles were parked outside nine homes on Allen O’Neill Drive and two homes on Herman Avenue.
On the back of Darien Police patrol cars for years, now: “Lock your car, every time, everywhere.”
Most of the vehicle owners in that Noroton Heights neighborhood told police they didn’t find anything missing, and the list of items looted from the vehicles is pretty short: A wallet (with an unknown amount of money in it), a dart set valued at $160, a Dunkin Donuts gift card, a Macy’s store card.
Vehicles reported as having been entered but with nothing stolen from them usually have items from the glove compartment or center console strewn about inside or are found with doors left ajar.
After police were notified early Friday morning by one of the victims who found items taken from her sport utility vehicle, police canvassed the neighborhood and quickly found many other cars that had been entered. The police canvass started before 6 a.m.
- Darien police have said before that if people simply started locking their cars at night, they would prevent these thefts and make it less inviting for the thieves — who are often teenagers from in town or from cities in Connecticut — to come around looking for things to steal.
Here’s what vehicles were entered (sometimes more than one from the same address), what was stolen from them (if anything) and where the vehicles were parked outside (organized by street number and street):
4 Allen O’Neill Dr. — nothing taken — gray 2001 Acura MDX
7 Allen O’Neill Dr. — nothing taken — white 2004 Toyota 4Runner, gray 2008 Audi A4
8 Allen O’Neill Dr. — nothing taken — black 2011 BMW 328xi, blue 2017 Audi Q5
11 Allen O’Neill Dr. — nothing taken — gray 2001 Nissan Sentra, gray 2009 Toyota Rav4
15 Allen O’Neill Dr. — unknown if anything taken: police were unable to contact the owner before the police report was filed — red 2008 GMC Envoy
17 Allen O’Neill Dr. — nothing taken — red 2002 Ford Escape
19 Allen O’Neill Dr. — nothing taken — gray 2017 Nissan Murano, silver 2016 Mazda CX
20 Allen O’Neill Dr. — set of darts valued at $160 — white 2009 Kia Optima
21 Allen O’Neill Dr. — a wallet in the center console — gray 2014 Toyota Highlander
15 Herman Ave. — nothing taken — black 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe and another vehicle
24 Herman Ave. — stolen from the Subaru: change and a $20 Dunkin Donuts gift card; stolen from the Highlander: change, one pair of prescription sunglasses, expired Connecticut driver’s license, a Macy’s store card — gray 2009 Subaru Legacy, gray 2010 Toyota Highlander
Editor’s note: Darienite.com includes the addresses where unlocked cars are entered because neighbors ought to know who’s helping to attract thieves to their neighborhood, because it’s hard to believe anyone could possibly be harmed by anyone or everyone knowing their vehicle was entered, and because it’s extremely easy for a victim to prevent this crime from ever happening again.