Police are investigating more than a dozen car break-ins in one night, in one area of Lancaster County. Manheim Township Police say Saturday night into Sunday morning, thieves were busy stealing cash, laptops, purses and GPS units out of mostly unlocked vehicles.
Joanne Decker of East Petersburg was one victim whose window was smashed; cash was stolen.
“I came outside the next morning to go back to work and there was just glass everywhere,” says Decker.
Decker’s neighbor was also a victim of a car break-in.
A total of 15 cars in Manheim Township and East Petersburg were either broken into or stolen from if the doors were left unlocked.
“The bad guys aren’t gonna break into your car if they can’t see something in there that’s worth breaking into for,” says Sgt. Tom Rudzinski of the Manheim Township Police Department.
That’s advice a few out-of-towners could’ve used last weekend. Three windows were reportedly smashed at local hotels. In each case, a GPS was stolen.
“This town is not really a lock-your-stuff-up-tight type of place. I think that’s what catches people by surprise,” says Decker.
Decker has an all-too-common mind-set that police says needs to change.
“I don’t know what else to say, except, to reiterate over and over and over again that you need to lock your car. You need to remove valuables from your car,” says Rudzinski.
Manheim Township Police believe at least some of the break-ins are likely related. They remain under investigation.
Police throughout Lancaster County report daily car break-ins. It’s a problem that’s happening everywhere. Police remind all residents to lock their doors.
