Vehicle break-ins linked, Austintown police say

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

Police said Monday that a dozen reports of vehicle break-ins on the east side of Austintown are related.

The thefts occurred late Friday, primarily on South Yorkshire Boulevard, South Beverly Avenue, South Edgehill Avenue and Dunbar Street.

In almost all of the cases, a window was smashed. Credit cards, $280 and an HP laptop are among the items reported stolen.

Detective Sgt. Raynor Holmes Jr. said the thefts are opportunistic crimes.

“I think they’re looking for quick, easy money,” Holmes said.

The rash of vehicle break-ins comes shortly after a similar string of thefts on the south end of Austintown and in Boardman.

Police do have a suspect in the South Side case but not in the East Side crimes. Detectives do not think there is a connection between this weekend’s crime and the thefts in Boardman.

Residents should deter theft from their vehicles by removing all valuables and locking the doors. If they hear any noises outside — and one South Yorkshire Boulevard woman reported that she heard noise Friday night but did not get up to check — they should look out the window and call police if necessary, Holmes said.

“When they hear something, they have to look outside,” he said. “People say, ‘I wish I got up.’”