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Saturday's Internet Edition, July 31, 2010.
CSD Security warns of recent theft, vandalism
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Photo by Sheri Barile
Greg Remson, Rancho Murieta Community Services District Security chief, is reminding residents to keep vehicles and garages locked. The warning comes after a rash of thefts and vandalism have been reported to RMCSD Security during recent weeks.
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By Sheri Barile
River Valley Times Reporter
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A recent spike in theft and vandalism is prompting Rancho Murieta Community Services District Security Chief Greg Remson to encourage residents to be extra vigilant about their property and suspicious activity in the community.
During the month of April and first week of May, seven thefts or attempted thefts and six incidents of malicious vandalism were reported to CSD Security.
According to Remson, the majority of these incidents resulted from residents neglecting to protect their property. “People really need to keep their vehicles and garages locked,” he said. “Don’t leave valuables in the car either."
Two of the reported thefts were logged as grand theft, which is determined by the monetary value of the stolen property. Five incidents involved electronic devices left in vehicles. Items taken included GPS devices, cell phones, an iPod and Bluetooth, a laptop and wallet. In two incidents, solar lights were taken from yards.
In one incident on May 2, an unlocked garage door resulted in a GPS sky caddie and cable being stolen from a parked golf cart inside the garage on Chesbro Circle in RM North.
Remson believes that all the thefts involving property in vehicles were committed by the same perpetrator(s). “These have all occurred in a concentrated area on the North, from Rio Oso back to Lake Chesbro,” Remson said. “It doesn’t appear that there were any break-ins involved, and items taken tend to be those that are commonly left in cars.”
Describing the perpetrator(s) as opportunistic, Remson emphasized that steps should be taken by residents and their guests to avoid becoming a victim. "It doesn’t really help to toss valuables into the glove box in an unlocked car because a thief will rifle through there and find it,” Remson said.
Items like a dashboard mount for a GPS device or a cell phone charger left plugged in will also invite a thief into an unlocked car. “This is one more instance in which tucking those valuable items away in a glove box isn’t an adequate precaution,” Remson said. “They see evidence of a GPS or cell phone, and they’ll look for it.”
The recent rash of vandalism occurring in the community during the same time period rises to more serious levels than smashing pumpkins and toilet papering. One case occurring at RM Equestrian Center on April 28 was logged as a felony violation based on the monetary value of damages. Three unidentified juveniles were involved in this incident in which several windows, floodlights and jumps were damaged or destroyed. According to Remson, the incident is being resolved with the property owners by the parents of the responsible youth.
Other vandalism acts in the past two months include three incidents of spray-painting vulgar words on a car, the breaking of a window at Park Place Cleaners and glass broken in a Stonehouse Park restroom. These were all logged as penal code vandalism. Another involved minor arson in an outhouse.
In regards to the thefts in RM, no investigation is currently underway due to lack of evidence, although Remson said that the victims were advised to file reports with Sacramento Sheriff’s Department. Contact with SSD confirmed one theft was reported on May 1, however SSD Public Information Officer Sharon Chow said other reports might have been filed online.
She also said that insufficient evidence and property information often precludes SSD from going forward with an investigation. “If property is taken from an unlocked vehicle, and the victim cannot provide serial and model numbers to enter into the database, we have nothing to go on,” Chow said.
Where suspicious circumstances and possible vandalism in RM are concerned, Remson advises heightened awareness and timely communication. “Residents should be vigilant,” he said. “And by all means report any activity that seems out of the ordinary.”
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