Pacifica Burglars Hit Up 30 Vehicles In Crime Spree: Police

PACIFICA, CA — Pacifica police are warning residents to keep their vehicles locked and to be sure to remove any valuables while they are parked. The public safety alert comes after a crime spree in town in which approximately 30 cars were burglarized in one night.

Authorities first discovered the thefts around 7 a.m. Sunday when they were called to the 300 block of Reichling Avenue when someone "found discarded property."

"Officers arrived on scene and identified the property as possibly coming auto burglaries occurring in the
South Bay and Santa Cruz areas," police said in a news release. "When officers began doing a neighborhood check, they discovered that several residents found that their unlocked vehicles had been rummaged through and miscellaneous property had been taken."

Police expanded their investigation to include more of the neighborhood and soon discovered that about 30 vehicle theft victims. All of the cars had been left unlocked, police said.

"Video surveillance cameras in the area suggest that earlier that morning, between 12:30 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. two unknown male suspects were walking in the area checking vehicles’ door handles," police said.

Officials noted that "while Pacifica is a safe community, crimes of opportunity still occur." They shared the following advice:

• Check your doors after exiting the vehicle and be sure that they are locked.
• Do not leave valuable items in the vehicle.
• If you must leave valuable items in the vehicle, be sure they are out of sight and that the doors are locked.

The burglaries are under investigation. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Pacifica police at (650) 738-7314. Those wishing to submit tips anonymously can call (650) 359-4444.

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