ORIGINALLY WRITTEN CYNTHIA MARTENS
Hillsboro Police Chief Dan Kinning reported an unusual number of car break-ins in the city between about 10 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 3, and dawn, Sunday, Nov. 4.
A total of six cars were broken into. Three had stereos stolen out of them within a nine hour period.
“It’s kind of a rash to have that many (stereos) stolen at one time,” Kinning said.
It was foggy that night, which led Kinning to suggest the perpetrators may have used fog to their advantage.
“There’s definitely a pattern because they went up Date Street to First Street,” Kinning said.
Some of the cars involved were parked in an alley behind the houses in the area and others were on the street.
Although stereos were not stolen from each vehicle, the cars broken into all had stereos in them, Kinning said.
One individual reported two of his unlocked pickups were broken into between 10 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Keys were stolen from one of the pickups, and keys and a bag phone were stolen from the second vehicle.
The total value of the items stolen was listed at $60.
Two other individuals reported stereo systems were stolen from their unlocked cars between 10 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 p.m. Sunday. One of the stereos wasn’t installed and was lying on a seat in the car.
The value of one stereo was reported at $100 and the second was valued at $200.
A fourth victim reported someone broke out the back, side window of his locked pickup between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. Sunday and stole an expensive stereo system.
Damage to the pickup was extensive because the stereo was installed to prevent theft, and the dash was extensively torn to remove the system.
“It was a really nice stereo so that’s probably the reason they went through all that work,” Kinning said. The total value of that system was listed at $1,437.
Kinning said a fifth individual had a car phone stolen out of a car in the same area but the victim did not want to report the burglary.
Cell phone theft is not uncommon and averages about twice a month, but Kinning said it had been a while since he had anybody break into cars and take stereos.
“I have my suspicions that it’s probably one of a half-dozen local people I can think of,” Kinning said. “So if I can get some people to come forward with some relevant information, it would be helpful.”