Police arrest 3 suburban teens in car thefts

The names of the three teens will be released at a later date.

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

CANFIELD — City police have arrested three high school students in the theft of items stolen from unlocked cars in the Canfield and Boardman areas.

Detective Brian McGivern said three 17-year-old males are in police custody after a string of thefts from cars that started June 26 and continued until Sunday.

He said the names of the teens would be released at a later date, but did say one of the boys attends Canfield High School and the other two attend Boardman High School.

McGivern said the first series of thefts took place in the city June 26 between midnight and 1 a.m. Laptop computers, global positioning systems, cell phones and other valuables were taken out of unlocked vehicles.

The next series of thefts, McGivern said, took place June 28 in Boardman Township with valuables again taken from unlocked vehicles.

McGivern said the thieves moved back to the city Wednesday, entering and stealing from cars parked but unlocked. One man, he said, chased a suspected thief who was wearing a red hooded sweat shirt.

The thieves entered an additional 15 to 20 cars in the city Sunday.

Suspicious card use

McGivern said police executed a search warrant at 261 Glenview Road in the city after police became suspicious when credit cards taken in some of the thefts were used for online purchases. In the house, police found a red hooded sweat shirt and various items taken in the thefts.

McGivern said many of the thefts may have been prevented if residents had locked their car doors.

“This is nothing more than a crime of opportunity, people not locking their stuff up,” he said. “During initial interviews, these kids said they went to a lot of cars that were locked, but simply turned around and went to another car that was unlocked.”

There are about 50 victims of the thefts, McGivern said, and police are planning to contact each person about the items recovered. Police are asking that those affected not call the department until they are contacted by police.

jgoodwin@vindy.com