43
Officer addresses vehicle break-ins
By ROBERT CONNELLY
CANFIELD
Maj. Jeff Allen of the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office addressed residents’ concerns over recent car break-ins in the township.
In fact, Allen said his vehicle, within his garage, was rummaged through twice.
Fox Den Road has had the most theft reports. “We haven’t had one” since 4:48 a.m. June 19, Allen said, however.
He talked with more than a dozen residents who attended Tuesday night’s trustee board meeting.
Allen explained he believes there are two males going through neighborhoods, mostly between 3 and 5 a.m., and entering unlocked vehicles, in driveways or inside unlocked garages. He further said those two males are most likely picked up by a female when they are finished going through a neighborhood.
Unlike previous thieves, this group is wearing suits, almost like Haz-Mat suits, not leaving fingerprints and are also not frequently using stolen credit cards. “That’s usually a big way we like to solve our crimes,” Allen said of stolen credit cards.
Officials were able to obtain a photo of a male and a female after they had used a stolen Starbucks gift card at the coffee locations in Austintown and on the Ohio Turnpike.
Allen further said the sheriff’s office is working with authorities in Austintown, Boardman and Poland in Mahoning County, as well as Howland in Trumbull County, as all five areas have had break-ins. There have been 46 break-ins to vehicles in Austintown during the same time period, about a month, while Boardman has had 86, Poland 15 and Canfield 11.
Authorities are looking for a white Toyota, most likely a Camry four-door sedan, that has black and white leopard print seat covers. They have surveillance images from the Starbucks locations on their Facebook page.
“These guys will be caught, I guarantee you,” Allen said. “It’s a crime of opportunity. They’re going into unlocked vehicles. Lock your vehicles.”