Fort Worth Burglars Targeting Cars Sitting In Driveways
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FORT WORTH (CBSDW.COM) - CBS 11 News obtained exclusive video of two car burglary suspects rifling through vehicles in a Fort Worth residential area. The owners were sound asleep inside their homes while their valuables were being taken.
While Fort Worth police say the crime is happening more and more, they also say the solution is incredibly simple.
Families living off of Highway 377 in Fort Worth know they are potential targets for car break-ins, even though Park Glen neighborhood is reputedly a quiet area.
In the last two months, there have been 51 car burglaries in the 76137 zip code, but the last crime is immortalized on tape.
Car burglary victim Damien Monk said, "I wanted them to be caught."
Monk says he's viewed the video a hundred times. The tape shows two young men rifling through cars belonging to he and his wife. The thieves can be seen taking items from the glove box.
"I felt kind of dumb that I'd left my car open," Monk said. "But it's definitely pretty safe here and I won't be doing that again. I just want them to get caught."
Monk believes the usual quietness of the neighborhood quietness lulled him into occasionally being lax about locking up. It's something that burglars may know too.
Looking at the video, Monk doesn't believe this is the first burglary the two thieves have committed. "They're both in unison, getting into both cars, [and] checking everything together. They were quiet, because I have sound on the video, too, so neither one of them said anything."
Frustrated, Monk said the criminals weren't even in a rush. "Obviously they've been doing this for awhile because nothing bothered them. They took their time."
Fort Worth police acknowledge what they call "an upward rise" of car burglary crimes in the area.
"We don't know particularly what's causing it at this time, but it is something that's come to our attention," Sgt. Steven Enright explained. "Typically, what we're finding is it's the cars that are parked in peoples' driveways overnight or on the street."
The best advice – don't be an easy target.
Monk says he is planning to upgrade his security system and take other steps to ensure he isn't a victim again. He plans to install better lighting around his home and put sensors on cars and in the yard, so he'll know if someone enters his property.
"It's no excuse not to lock my car; even in a safe neighborhood," he admitted. "I mean, nothing's completely safe; no matter where you are."
Monk told CBS 11 that he's notified all his neighbors and invited them to look at his video.
Meanwhile, police are hoping someone recognizes the burglars and will provide information in the case.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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