Three Cars Stolen, Multiple Car Break-Ins Reported In Reading

READING, MA — Police are investigating after three cars were stolen and several cars were broken into Friday night into early Saturday morning. Police managed to recover two of the three stolen vehicles and return them to their owners.

Police received a report at 5:37 a.m. Saturday that a car had been idling on Main Street since 5 a.m. Officers arrived and found the car still running with its lights on and no driver in the area.

Following investigation, police learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen in Melrose overnight. Police contacted the owner and returned the car.

Police received a report of another stolen vehicle at 8:20 a.m. in the area of Spring Street. The car was reportedly stolen sometime during the night.

Police received information about the vehicle's location and found it a short while later in Somerville, then returned the car to its owner.

A Prospect Street resident reported another car stolen to police at 10:14 a.m. This car has yet to be found.

Police also received nine calls from residents reporting that their vehicles had been entered and with items missing in some cases.

The break-ins were reported in the areas of Locust Street, Middlesex Avenue, Condor Road, and Copeland Road. In almost all cases, the victims' vehicles were unlocked.

The Reading Police Department offered the following tips to avoid becoming the victim of theft:

• Always lock all car doors.
• Take your keys. Don’t leave them in your vehicle.
• Roll up windows and close sunroofs.
• Get in the routine of double-checking that your vehicle is locked and secure each night around 9 p.m. This is known as the "9 p.m. Routine."
• Never leave loose electronics in plain view.
• Do not leave money in your car or loose change in plain view.
• Park in a well-lit area.
• Call police immediately if you notice something missing.

"I would like to remind community members to ensure that their cars are properly locked and that all valuable items have been removed from the car before exiting the car, regardless of what time it is," Chief David Clark said in a statement. "We are continuing to investigate several incidents of motor vehicle break-ins and thefts and ask that our community members stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity they may see."

Anyone who would like to report a car break-in, or who has video surveillance or information regarding the stolen vehicles or the break-ins, is asked to call the Reading Police Department at 781-944-1212.