Rash Of Car Break-Ins In Cedar Park Prompts Police Warnings

CEDAR PARK, TX -- Police are urging residents to hide their valuables when leaving their cars unattended after a rash of break-ins at popular areas of the city.

CBS Austin reported that 11 cars in the areas of Brushy Creek Park, Champions Park, the Twin Lakes YMCA, 204 E Little Elm Trail, and Gold's Gym, 1335 E.Whitestone Blvd., were broken into in a span of just a few hours. Police told the news station that it's likely the thieves were observing the motorists prior to the break-ins in targeting their vehicles for theft.

Park visitors expressed dismay to the news station, musing aloud how a mundane trip with family to the recreational area is seen as a rich vein for thieves. "It's pretty scary," said one.

"This crime spree goes on at recreational centers, gyms, parks, places where people normally go to work out," Cedar Park Police Department Sgt. Christopher Dailey told CBS Austin. "These folks [the thieves], they'll watch the parking lots."

He issued a reminder that is oft-repeated by law enforcement that is often not heeded: Hide your valuables from plain sight in the console or trunk of the vehicle, leave them at home or take them with you.

The Brushy Creek Trail area is historically a mother lode for thieves. In December, police arrested three people after similar break-ins. What they found with the arrests was a sophisticated car theft ring linked to a gang based in Houston.

"Normally when these folks come and hit an area, they hit fast, they hit hard, they target," Dailey said of the organized theft ring.

Police have no suspects in the latest rash of thefts. But they urge anyone who may have seen suspicious activities in the aforementioned areas, particularly this past Monday, to call 911.

>>> Read the full story at CBS Austin

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