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Tuesday's Internet Edition, January 06, 2009.
RM hit again as 11 unlocked vehicles vandalized
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Photo by John Motsinger
Rancho Murieta CSD Security Chief Greg Remson warns residents last May after numerous vehicle break-ins hit the community. He is again warning residents to lock their vehicles due to 11 thefts from unlocked cars and garages in Rancho Murieta.
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By Wendy Smith
River Valley Times Staff
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Over the past few weeks there have been a total of 11 thefts from unlocked vehicles in Rancho Murieta. The majority took place in the early morning hours of Nov. 13 with two incidents on Nov. 14 and one more recent one occurring on Nov. 25, according to Community Services District Security Chief Greg Remson.
Reports given to CSD Security Dept. and to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Department show the perpetrators entered unlocked vehicles parked in driveways and inside garages where unlocked gates and garage doors provided access. The thieves took a variety of objects ranging from loose change to golf clubs. In several of the cases, wallets or purses that had been taken were found later on the ground or in the trash with only the cash missing.
“The majority of the thefts, including eight in one night, occurred in the early hours of Nov. 13 on the Rancho Murieta North side,” said Remson. “Two more thefts were reported on Nov. 14 on the South side, and one very recent theft was reported to have taken place at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 25 on the RM North side.”
Sacramento Sheriff's South Bureau Records Officer Steve Goins said that only three of the theft victims had reported their incidents to the SSD. “We have finished taking reports from the three theft victims who came to us," Officer Goins said. "As of now we have no suspects, but detective Marc Warren is aware of the situation and will be looking into the matter as soon as he is officially assigned to the cases.”
Remson said that CSD Security encourages residents who have experienced theft to file reports with the SSD, even though many choose not to. “We take their reports and do our own work in trying to identify suspects, but we always recommend they contact the SSD as well,” said Remson.
Security has no suspects at this time, according to Remson. He added that the perpetrators who entered the vehicles appeared to primarily be looking for items that would be easy to resell, or cash in and sell. “In the case of gold clubs, those are easy to sell to secondhand sports shops or even on Craigslist,” Remson said, adding that in one instance the thieves had left a pair of binoculars, but taken sunglasses.
In every single case the theft was preventable, according to Remson. “These are what we call crimes of opportunity. An unlocked gate or an unlocked vehicle creates easy access, especially if you have left any valuables in the car,” he said.
Remson added a warning to residents. “Even though you are within a gated community, it is important to secure your homes, keep your cars locked, and never leave anything of value in your car, especially if it is parked in a driveway where it is easy to see,” Remson said.
He continued, "In every case of theft there was no forced entry. If the cars and doors had been locked, it would have been a deterrent to would-be thieves."
If anywhere along the way the perpetrators had encountered a locked garage, locked side door, or a locked vehicle door, Remson believes that the perpetrators would have left.
“In certain cases all the perpetrators got was small coins. I don’t think that this is a person, or people, who are willing to put in a lot of effort to steal. They simply saw an opportunity and took it,” Remson said.
In the most recent reported theft on Nov. 25, the resident stated that the family heard a noise around 3:30 a.m. but didn’t think it was anything, only to find two sets of golf clubs missing in the morning. The perpetrators had entered through an unlocked gate and an unlocked garage door.
“This is a case where perhaps a report at the time of the noise might have helped to catch the individual or individuals involved," Remson said. "Even more so, this is a case where locked doors would have prevented the theft altogether.” He strongly urges everyone in the community to make sure that they lock cars, doors and gates when they are away and overnight.
Remson also wants residents to remember that the further in the house possessions are, the safer they will be. “If you have a purse in a car that is parked in your driveway - even if the car is locked - it can be tempting to a potential thief," Remson said. "If that purse is in your car in your garage and both are locked - it is somewhat safer. If you bring that purse into your home or all the way into a bedroom, it is going to be safer because it becomes more difficult to reach.”
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