Cool Crime Spree Has El Dorado County Residents On Edge
COOL (CBS13) — A crime spree is sweeping through a quiet El Dorado County town, as residents say someone is breaking into their homes and cars over the last few weeks.
There aren't many places like Cool left in California. This is the kind of place where people trust their neighbors to the point they don't even lock their doors. Except now that's changing with an apparent burglary spree hitting locals all over town.
At the only gas station in Cool, there's one topic on seemingly everyone's minds.
"Nobody can explain it," said clerk Jessie Gifford.
Every day, customers come in, talking about burglaries suddenly happening all over town. Residents have even posted warnings at the post office and outside the grocery store.
"It's not normal at all," Gifford said. "It's weird, and I've grew up [sic] in this town and nothing like this has ever happened."
Dallas Green's home was broken into and ransacked in the span of mere minutes. The Cool resident of 40 years left to feed his neighbor's dogs only to find his wife's jewelry had been stolen.
"I like to trust people and it is surprising how many neighbors say, 'I don't lock the house. I don't even know where the keys at.' I mean, that's how we trust people out here," he said.
It's clear people here aren't used to worrying about safety and security, but they are now.
"There's a lot of good-hearted people and a lot of good kids and it's not okay. People work really hard for what they have, which isn't a lot," Gifford said. "They don't deserve this at all."
Until the suspects are caught, some people who've lived here decades are doing something they've never done, and that's locking their doors.