ARLINGTON, Virginia. – The Arlington County Police Department is deploying increased police resources to include both visible and invisible assets to combat the increase in home break-ins related to car theft and car theft. Since February, police have investigated five reports of suspects breaking into garages by garage door openers found in unlocked vehicles or open garage doors and stealing vehicles from the property. In three cases, the suspects broke into occupied apartments attached to the garages, ransacked objects and stole personal property. In addition, police have investigated two incidents in which the suspect broke a window into the apartment and stole a vehicle from the property. These incidents occurred in residential areas north of I-66.
Arrested the first night of providing additional resources
At around 3:32 a.m. on June 4, an officer watched a group of suspects try the door handles of vehicles parked in the 1900 block of N. George Mason Drive. When they saw the officer, the group split up and escaped from the area. The emergency communication center then sent the report of ongoing tampering, and the officers began to saturate the area. Officials found a vehicle that stopped in the 5,000 block on Lee Highway and tried to pick up an unidentified man, who then fled when he saw police. The two occupants of the stopped vehicle were arrested. While officers were conducting their investigation, a black Honda Civic passed them at high speed and nearly crashed into their parked, tagged police vehicles with emergency lights on. The vacant Civic, later found to be stolen from Fairfax County, crashed near N. George Mason Drive and N. Florida Streets. The officers continued to search the area and three other suspects were located and arrested. As a result of the criminal investigation by detectives assigned to the Property Crimes Unit, a juvenile suspect was arrested and charged with the crimes Eluding, Grand Larceny Auto and Conspiracy to Commit a Felony. The investigation into the incident is ongoing and charges are pending against three other suspects.
Method of theft
Auto and vehicle thefts are often casual crimes in which suspects take advantage of unsecured doors and windows to steal unattended or visible items. Based on surveillance videos, witness reports, interviews with victims, and interviews with suspects arrested in previous cases, the evidence suggests multiple suspects are working together, often using a stolen vehicle to drive into residential areas and attempting door handles on parked vehicles . The suspects will get into unlocked vehicles, rummage through items, and steal vehicles with accessible spare keys and tags. More recently, suspects have also broken into garages that have been left open or when a garage door opener is in an unlocked vehicle. Once in the garage, suspects broke into squatted apartments through unlocked doors and stole personal property from the victims.
When and where thefts occur
While the most recent cases of home break-ins have occurred in neighborhoods north of I-66, auto and vehicle thefts have been reported in almost all neighborhoods across Arlington County, usually during the night and early hours of the morning and may be any day of the week . Suspects often commit a series of car thefts by targeting multiple vehicles at once and stealing those found with keys or tags inside.
Take action with these crime prevention tips
No matter where you live, follow these crime prevention tips to keep your property safe.
Prevention of theft from car and motor vehicle theft
- Close and lock all windows and doors when parking. Double click the lock button on the key fob for a confirmation tone / chirp, or pull the door handle to see if it is locked.
- Never leave valuables open in the car. Take these items with you or secure them – anytime, anywhere.
- Do not leave your keys, key fobs or valet keys in your vehicle. This includes keys to a second vehicle.
- Take your garage door opener out of your vehicle when parking. If a thief can get into a vehicle, they can have access to a garage door opener and gain access to your home.
- Never leave the area while your vehicle is moving.
- Make sure your vehicle is switched off when you leave it unattended. Vehicles with a keyless ignition system can be driven for long periods of time even if the key fob is not in the vehicle. Read your owner’s manual carefully and become familiar with the correct operation of your vehicle’s keyless ignition system.
- Keep information such as make, model, model year, license plate and VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) easily accessible in the event your vehicle is stolen.
Prevention of break-ins
- Activate the outdoor lighting in your home.
- Keep your garage door closed and locked. Always make sure your garage door is closed overnight.
- Install bolt locks on exterior doors. Connect both the knob and the deadbolt lock.
- Never hide spare keys near your property or in a vehicle. Instead, leave a spare key with someone you trust.
- Consider installing effective security cameras. Keep in mind that when a home surveillance system detects a theft from a running car, it doesn’t always provide the overwhelming evidence needed to prosecute a case.
Join the 9pm routine
The 9 p.m. routine is a crime prevention campaign that encourages residents to conduct security checks on their homes and vehicles every night to ensure that their property is protected. Set a reminder and make sure the following tasks are done at 9:00 p.m. every night and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.
- Vehicles, apartments, garages, windows, gates, sheds were locked.
- Exterior lighting, security cameras, alarm systems have been activated.
- Valuables from vehicles (including keys), yards, terraces were brought inside.
Public education
The ministry is using electronic signs in various locations across the county to visibly remind the community to lock vehicles and protect personal property. The signs are part of a public awareness campaign and are regularly moved to different neighborhoods to spread important crime prevention messages and encourage participation in the 9pm routine.
