After rash of break-ins, visitors – and residents – advised to lock their vehicles
By IRENE NOLAN
By IRENE NOLAN
The Dare County Sheriff’s Office is reminding all visitors – and residents – to keep their vehicles locked and their valuables out of sight.
Vehicle break-ins happen year round, but the reports balloon in the summer with the annual influx of visitors.
Just a glance back at last summer’s reports from the Dare County Sheriffs shows that thieves stole a wide variety of valuables from vehicles.
Reported stolen last July through August were wallets, purses, cash ($1,500 in one case), credit cards, cell phones, GPS devices, vehicle DVD screens, iPods, sunglasses, radar detectors, and digital cameras. Also missing from vehicles were such items as surf boards, bicycles, fishing rods, and a canoe.
“Most (thieves) are not forcing their way into vehicles,” said Hatteras Island Lt. Greg Wilson of the sheriff’s office. They are taking advantage of an opportunity.”
That opportunity is a vehicle that has not been secured by the owners – at rentals houses, parking turnouts, and businesses.
During June, there has been a rash of vehicle thefts in Hatteras village and Frisco.
And the sheriff’s office arrested suspects and recovered some of the stolen property in several of these high-profile cases.
On June 13, Sgt. Jack Scarborough of the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, accompanied by members of the Criminal Investigation Division, went to 57402 Highway 12 in Hatteras village, armed with a warrant to search the premises. The warrant was issued to search for a golf cart reported stolen from Columbia, S.C.
The stolen cart was found in the backyard of the residence. There also was a quantity of methamphetamine discovered. Further investigation led to the recovery of more property in the form of some electronic equipment allegedly stolen from automobile break-ins in Hatteras on June 11.
CID Deputies Doug Oberbeck and Phil Tokazowski were able to determine that the stolen items had been in the possession of two juveniles and one 16-year-old in Virginia. Juvenile petitions were to be drawn on the local juveniles and warrants will be drawn on the 16-year-old for the Hatteras auto break-ins as soon as he can be returned from Virginia.
In the recovery of the stolen golf cart, Joseph Steven Thomas, 19, 57402 Highway 12, Hatteras, was arrested. He was charged with possession of stolen goods (felony), possession of Schedule II controlled substance, underage possession of alcoholic beverage.
During the weekend of June 11-12, there were several motor vehicles broken into in the Frisco community. Deputy Sheriff Joey Spragins, while handling an unrelated call for service, was able to locate a gun stolen in Buxton on May 25. From this information, Dare County Criminal Investigators Sgt. Scott Rodriguez, Doug Oberbeck, and Phil Tokazowski were able to take the information and develop suspects in the Frisco car break-in cases, as well as the case involving the stolen gun. As a result of their investigation, a significant amount of stolen property was recovered and the following arrests were made on June 16:
Richard William Taylor, 18, 52180 Mare Vista Drive, Frisco. Charged with felony possession of a stolen firearm, possession of firearm by a convicted felon, and four counts of breaking and entering of a motor vehicle. Bond was set at $42,500.
Julio Leal, 18, 52236 Lovey Lane, Frisco. Charged with four counts of breaking and entering of a motor vehicle, felony larceny of a firearm, and possession of a stolen firearm. Bond was set at $20,000.
Samantha Taylor, 18, 48313 Buxton Back Road, Buxton. Charged with felony larceny of a firearm, felony possession of a stolen firearm, and four counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle. Bond was set at $25,000.
Steven Anthony Nelson, 17, 51834 Highway 12, Frisco. Charged with one count of breaking and entering a motor vehicle. Bond was set at $1,000.
Visitors and residents should also secure property outside houses. The spike in tourist season thefts also includes fishing rods, rod racks, surf boards, bicycles, and the like at rental houses and residences.
Wilson of the sheriff’s office says that residents and vacationers should be vigilant and look “for anything that doesn’t seem just right” and suspicious persons in neighborhoods.
Thefts and unusual activity can be reported by calling 911 or the non-emergency communications number, 252-473-3444.
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