Unlocked Cars Stolen in Northern Darien, New Canaan Over Weekend

Three cars were stolen in New Canaan and another one in Darien this weekend, and two of the New Canaan cars were later found in Waterbury, according to announcements from each town’s police department.

Two other cars were entered, one in New Canaan, the other in Darien. In every single case, the vehicle was unlocked. In every case in which the vehicle was stolen, the keys were inside.

“These crimes are being committed by suspected gang members from Waterbury,” New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski said in a news release. “Many towns in Fairfield County are experiencing similar crimes from the same gang.”

Urban teenagers stealing cars in the suburbs is a widespread phenomenon around the state. The vehicle is often left somewhere in the thieve’s hometown, sometimes damaged. Unlocked cars are targeted, with items stolen from them when they aren’t stolen.

He added: “These vehicle thefts and the vehicle entry occurred during the early morning hours.” Most of the incidents occurred overnight from Friday to Saturday.

Krolikowski added a list of ways people could keep their cars safer (it would seem to work just as well in Darien, so we’ve republished it at the bottom of this article).

The Darien reports below are from a Darien police announcement on Monday; information on the New Canaan thefts is from Krolikowski’s announcement.

Darien: Audi Stolen from Half Mile Road

At 2 Half Mile Road in Darien, at about 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, the owner of a black 2015 Audi Q7 went to his driveway and discovered the car was missing. He told police he had parked the car there at about 9:30 p.m. the night before. He’d left it unlocked and with the keys inside.

Police found no evidence at the scene, and asking neighbors whether they’d seen or heard anything brought up nothing. Police listed the vehicle as stolen in a state database.

Darien: Car Entered at 8 Sherry Lane

At 8 Sherry Lane, a resident got into her black 2015 Mercedes ML350 at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning and noticed the glovebox and center console were each ajar, and the contents had been riffled through.

She had parked the car in front of the garage at about 7 p.m. Friday, about 12 hours before. It seemed nothing was missing. The victim didn’t see or hear anything suspicious, and when police asked neighbors, they found none of them had, either. Police say an investigation is continuing.

New Canaan: Mercedes, Acura Stolen from Forest Street

On Saturday, the New Canaan Police Department received a complaint about two vehicles—a 2017 Mercedes E400 and 2017 Acura RDX—stolen from the driveway of a Forest Street home. Both of those vehicles were later found in Waterbury.

Third New Canaan Vehicle Theft

On Sunday, Nov. 6, a 2015 Infiniti QX60) was stolen from the driveway of a Weed Street home. It hasn’t been found.

Another Car Entered in New Canaan

Also on Nov. 5, a 2009 Audi A4 on Old Kings Highway in New Canaan was entered. Nothing was stolen from the unlocked car.

Tips to Prevent These Thefts

These crimes would have been prevented by following the tips below:

1. KEYS: When unattended Never leave the keys to your home or car inside a vehicle or in a place where a thief can find them. Do not leave the valet key, key fob or garage door opener inside of your vehicle.
2. LIGHT UP YOUR HOME: At night, keep the perimeter of your home & driveway well lit. Low energy lighting switched on and off by photoelectric sensors (low light switches) is a cost-effective way to discourage criminals.
3. LOCK-UP: Always lock all doors, garage doors and windows of your car and home whenever you leave, day or night, even for a short time. If you have a garage, put your car in it and lock/alarm both the car and the garage. All of the thefts from vehicles and vehicle thefts that occur in our Town involve unlocked vehicles.SECURE VALUABLES: Never leave valuables in your vehicle. Often, identity theft occurs when drivers’ licenses and credit cards are stolen.
4. USE YOUR ALARM SYSTEM: Always activate your home and car alarm systems. Many successful crimes that occur in our Town involve houses or cars that have alarm systems that were not activated.

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Editor’s note: NewCanaanite.com helped with this article. Here’s their coverage.