The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a rash of 20 car breaks, possibly more, that all took place in Palm Coast’s K and Z Sections Tuesday night into Wednesday–15 in the K’s, five in the Z’s. Every single vehicle that was broken into had been left unlocked. “People need to lock their doors,” a sheriff’s spokesperson said.
“We have officially 15 but there may be more, more keep trickling in,” the spokesperson said late this afternoon.
In some cases, the burglars got hold of garage door openers, opened the garage and rummaged there. In one such case, on Kathleen Trail, the 36-year-old resident was asleep and was woken up by the sound of her garage door opening. She got up and noticed her Ford Focus broken into, though nothing was taken since there’d been nothing valuable inside. She did not see anyone. Fingerprints were lifted from the hood and the garage door opener and car’s glove box were processed for DNA.
At a nearby home on the same street, a 64-year-old resident reported an identical break-in, with her vehicle and the garage broken into.
On Zircon Court, the 47-year-old homeowner was going through his normal morning routine, getting ready to drive to work before 7 .m. when he noticed that the driver’s side door to his 2014 Kia had been rummaged through, all the car’s paperwork scattered on the floorboard. A few dollars and a baseball cap had been stolen. The homeowner had left the car in the driveway, unlocked. The homeowner had a surveillance camera trained on the driveway. He saw “what appeared to be two males with hoodies run towards his vehicle,” according to an incident report. “An unknown vehicle was also following both males, and one male was observed opening the driver’s side door while the other male goes to the passenger side door, open and made entry.” Both men or boys were seen in the homeowner’s vehicle looking for things to pilfer. There was no time stamp on the video footage.
But surveillance video footage from a house on Kalamazoo Trail showed two males leaving the vehicle at 2:08 a.m. The males walked up to several vehicles parked in driveways along the street, seemingly attempting to get in. On Kaywood Place, a Toyota parked in the driveway had its trunk broken into. The resident’s wallet was stolen from the center console. It contained a bank card and a pass to an Orlando theme park, though no fraudulent transactions had been recorded.
The city had experienced a series of serial car breaks in the past, but not in the last year or two, the spokesperson said.
This latest spree takes place as Sheriff Rick Staly prepares to deliver his latest “Addressing Crime Together” presentation this evening at the Hilton Garden Inn (55 Town Center Blvd, Palm Coast) at 6 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and will be broadcast on WNZF (94.9 FM or 1550 AM) and shown live on the agency’s Facebook page. Staly will discuss crime in Flagler County, the initiatives the Sheriff’s Office has made to improve public service, and agency plans for 2021. The sheriff will also field questions.
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Steve says
just sayin.. I thought leaving valuables in ones car was way over a decade ago. Whats up folks its not secure not in FPC or anywhere for that matter SMH
A Concerned Observer says
I watched a couple leaving their car at a beach park and noticed a woman’s pocketbook clearly visible on the passenger front seat. I called out to the woman that she forgot per purse in the car. She replied, “It’s okay, there is nothing of value in it and the car is locked.” I explained that someone walking by and seeing the purse was likely to do hundreds of dollars damage to her car breaking into it, not knowing that there was “nothing of value” in it.
Cars should always be locked! Lock your doors when you leave your car and it is a good practice to lock them when driving so you will be protected from carjacking while stopped at a red light. A garage door opener left in a car outside your home will give instant access to your garage, and possibly your home as well as the door from the garage to the home is very likely to be unlocked. The car registration likely left inside your console or glove box when parked at a shopping center will give the thief your address and they will know that the homeowner is away from the house. Even if locked, most garages contain countless tools that a thief (OR WORSE) can use to gain access to your home and everyone inside it, and they can easily conceal their activity from view by closing the garage door after they are inside.
Parks and shopping center parking lots are hunting grounds for thieves. If you must leave valuables in an unattended car, place them out of sight, preferably locked in the trunk (if your vehicle has a trunk). Better yet, place your valuables in the trunk before you leave your home so parking lot hunters do not see you place them in the trunk at a store or park. Never, NEVER leave a gun in an unattended car anywhere, locked or not!
An old adage states that locks only keep honest people honest. That may have some truth, but they will also stop at least casual crooks from stealing your belongings and maybe keep a more violent criminal out of your home.
The Voice Of Reason says
Folks, LOCK your doors. Don’t be lackadaisical. (lazy). We’re not living in Mayberry. This occurs on a regular basis in Palm Coast. Guns are frequently stolen. Some reported, a lot not reported due to embarrassment and shame. Please, stop arming criminals.
Land of no turn signals says says
Idiot’s leaving there cars unlocked.You have a 50% chance having it broken into locked with all the dirt bags in this city.
Lil bird says
So is it MY fault if I go for a run on a sidewalk as a single woman & get attacked? How dark outside does it have to be or how what percent of showing skin makes it then my fault? Likewise, Is it my kids fault if they leave their bike in their own yard and someone takes it? Or if I park my car in my own driveway (or a public park) and someone enters it unwelcomed and takes things?
These are all examples of victim blaming. A thief is a thief and should be charged as such. One can try deterrents but (like squirrels to a bird feeder) it only occasionally works.
Concerned Citizen says
Here’s a thought !!
Stop victim blaming and stop stealing.
Agkistrodon says
Also females, do not dress in a provocative manner, as if you get attacked and assaulted it is your fault. ….
..that is what many of you people sound like, utter stupidity. Blame the victim, not the thief. I love tolerance……
ASF says
The thieving is criminal. The opportunity that the above mentioned acts by the rightful owners extend through sheer carelessness is regrettably foolish. All our actions have consequences for which we all must pay. That’s the way life is.
Higher level says
So lock your vehicle, is the answer, my vehicle is locked, who pays for the broken window, I should have had unbreakable windows still my fault. This is a ridiculous way of thinking, Leave the car unlocked so you don’t have to pay for the broken windows, because stopping crime is too difficult.
TR says
It’s all about common sense. You leave your car, lock the doors and take all valuables with you. I think a lot of times when vehicle is broken into. The victim adds things to the list for the police report to maybe get more money from insurance. In other words they lie. I can not believe there are that many stupid people that leave their cell phone, laptop, wallet, purse, a gun, etc in the car at night when they know they will not go out any more. Maybe it’s just lazy and stupid.
MikeM says
That is only if you catch the thief. Leave your car unlocked if you choose. Just don’t blame anyone but yourself if you find it cleaned out in the morning.
MikeM says
Do you leave your front door unlocked when you go to bed ? Thievery has been going on for thousands of years. If you don’t protect yourself, who will?