Burglars breaking into cars on Aurora’s west side

Burglars have entered at least 23 vehicles during the past month in Aurora, primarily on the city’s west side, authorities said Wednesday.

Police said 17 of the break-ins have occurred since Oct. 3 and the area around West Aurora High School, 1201 W. New York St., has been especially hard hit. They said the majority of vehicles have been parked in residents’ driveways and the burglars have escaped with wallets, purses and other items that were left in plain view.

Most of the burglaries have occurred in the early morning hours of weekdays.

Police are asking residents to call 911 if they see anything or anyone suspicious in their neighborhoods. They also are reminding residents of the importance of hiding or removing anything of value in vehicles such as cellphones, laptops and wallets and to make sure doors are locked and windows are closed.

Anyone with information on the burglaries is asked to call police at (630) 256-5500 or Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000. Callers to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and qualify for a cash reward of as much as $5,000 for information leading to any arrests.