Three different residents reported to Darien police on the same day that their home surveillance cameras showed thieves trying the door handles of their cars, which were parked outside, overnight.
But each of the three owners had done the one simple thing that caused the thieves to give up and leave. No cars entered, nothing stolen.
They actually locked their doors.
The three incidents happened overnight from Friday to Saturday, Feb. 23 to 24. Two of the residents live on Fairfield Avenue; the other, on Holly Lane.
Another resident of Fairfield Avenue later told police that on the same overnight period his car was stolen. It had been parked outside, unlocked, and with the keys inside. He said a neighbor told him the car, a 2013 Honda Civic, was found parked at the end of the street.
In another, earlier incident, a woman told police on Wednesday, Feb. 21, that a backpack was stolen while her car was parked on the Post Road, across the street from Darien Fire Department, sometime between 5:20 and 6:04 p.m.
She said she believes the car was locked; police did not say whether or not there were any signs of a forced entry.