Two Unlocked Cars Stolen Last Week, One Found with GPS; and Five More Vehicles Entered

Two vehicles were stolen overnight in Darien last week — both unlocked, both with the keys left in them — and one was found in Waterbury with the help of a GPS system, town police said.

All of these motor vehicle burglaries and thefts occurred within two miles from each other in the central part of town. All but one (the Oak Crest vehicle theft and the motor vehicle burglary on Roland Drive, a block to the south) occurred overnight last Tuesday to Wednesday.

Darien police gave these descriptions of the incidents:

28 Shields Road, Overnight Tuesday to Wednesday, April 4 to 5

A white 2017 BMW X3 had been last seen by its owner at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4. It had been parked in the driveway of 28 Shields Road. At about 5 a.m., the owner saw the new SUV was missing.

At 7:33 a.m., the theft was reported to police, and at 7:45 the car’s GPS device showed the car was in Waterbury. At some point, Waterbury police secured the car, which was undamaged, and it was returned to its owner.

When police came to the residence to investigate the car theft, at some point a blue 2017 Toyota Highlander SUV was also checked, and police discovered that the glove box and center console had been riffled through.

That vehicle also had been parked unlocked outside the house. The vehicle was found to be missing a black leather wallet valued at $110 and containing $70 in cash, a driver’s license and three credit cards. The SUV’s keys and a key ring, altogether valued at $70, were also missing.

Police were still investigating the thefts as of late Monday afternoon.

Motor Vehicle Burglary, Shields Road, Same Time Period

At 44 Shields Road, a 2017 Mercedes Benz, left unlocked when it was parked at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4 was found by the owner to have been entered overnight. The glove box and center console had been opened and riffled through, but nothing was reported taken. Police found out about it when they conducted a canvass of the neighborhood to see if anyone heard or saw anything related to the car theft.

The victim said she didn’t hear or see anything suspicious overnight, but when police continued asking residents whether they had, one neighbor reported hearing car doors opening and closing at about 4 a.m.

19 Oak Crest, Overnight Saturday to Sunday, April 8 to 9

A white 2011 Porsche Cayenne S, valued at $50,000, was stolen from outside a home at 19 Oak Crest sometime between when it was parked there at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 8 and 9:12 a.m., when the owner reported it missing.

The owner said she hadn’t heard anything unusual overnight, and when police asked neighbors, they said the same. Police, who are continuing to investigate the theft, believe it may be related to other motor vehicle burglaries in the area.

Darien Police Advisory About Car Burglaries and Thefts

When announcing the motor vehicle burglaries and car thefts Monday, police added this statement:

The Darien Police Department again cautions all residents to lock their vehicles at all times. The recent spate of motor vehicle burglaries and motor vehicle thefts all largely share one commonality; the vehicles were left unlocked and, in the case of stolen vehicles, the keys were left inside.

We cannot state this strongly enough; the ongoing protection of valuable property is really a joint effort between the property owners and law enforcement.

We simply cannot be everywhere, every day, at every moment to protect your property. Please help us help you; do not leave valuables in your vehicle and please ensure that your vehicles are locked at all times, no matter where they are parked.

Motor Vehicle Burglaries Between the Two SUV Thefts

The Oak Crest vehicle theft is about two miles from the one on Shields Road, and along the way, some thefts were reported from unlocked vehicles outside these homes in between the two vehicle thefts. The thefts occurred in the same overnight period as the theft of the BMW from  Sheilds Road:

Overnight, Tuesday to Wednesday:

At 12 Kona Road, about a mile away from the thefts on Shields Road, a blue 2007 Chevrolet Suburban and a blue 2014 Volvo XC70 were each entered, with $20 in cash stolen from the Volvo’s glove box, which had been riffled through, as had the center console.

A resident told police that the Volvo had been left unlocked overnight, but she thought the Suburban had been locked. There were no signs of entry being forced into the Suburban, but it appeared that it had been riffled through.

At 7 Kona Road, an unlocked, black 2012 Land Rover LR4 was entered while it was parked overnight in the same time period. The victim didn’t recall hearing anything suspicious overnight, but saw at 7 a.m. that the center console and glovebox had been riffled through overnight. Nothing appeared to be missing from the vehicle.

At 15 Libby Lane (on the other side of Middlesex Road from Shields Road), a gray 2016 Toyota Rav 4, left unlocked overnight outside, was entered sometime between 12:15 p.m., Tuesday and 10:30 a.m., Wednesday. Papers were strewn about inside the vehicle, but the owner said she didn’t hear anything suspicious overnight. Nothing was reported missing.

Overnight, Friday to Saturday, April 8 to 9:

Sometime overnight during the same period of time that the SUV theft took place on Oak Ridge, three vehicles parked outside 18 Rowland Drive, a block to the south, were entered. The only item reported missing was an iPhone charger.

A red 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe, a gray 2005 Nissan Altima and a black 2015 Cadillac Escallade had all been left unlocked outside the house from 9 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m., Sunday. Each vehicle had been entered and riffled through, but only the charger, valued at $10, was taken. The victim told police he didn’t see or hear anything unusual overnight.

 

Unrelated, but also involving vehicles:

Police report that Darien officers responded to 14 motor vehicle collisions during the week, five of which involved minor injuries.

Editor’s note: The policy of Darienite.com is to publish addresses of locations where unlocked vehicles were entered. We don’t believe it makes the victim any more likely to be victimized again (as long as the victim starts locking the car), so if the thought of your address being published in this kind of circumstance makes you uncomfortable, just lock up. It’s the responsible thing to do.