Police: 27 cars stolen this year in Arlington Heights
Residents in Arlington Heights' Scarsdale neighborhood woke up Wednesday morning to find a car stolen and others ransacked - part of a trend of motor vehicle thefts and burglaries throughout town this year.
A 2013 black Infiniti JX35 SUV was stolen from a garage on the 700 block of South Beverly Lane about 1:20 a.m. Wednesday, the homeowner told the Daily Herald.
Surveillance video from outside the house shows three teens walking up the driveway about an hour before. They walked into the garage through the open door, opened the unlocked car door and took the resident's purse. They returned to take the car after finding its key fob in the purse, according to the homeowner.
She said she mistakenly thought the garage door was closed.
Another car in the garage, and at least three others on the block were burglarized, residents say.
Arlington Heights police report a total of 27 auto thefts have occurred so far this year, many of which involved unlocked vehicles. There's also been dozens of motor vehicle burglary reports, the majority taking place overnight and on the south side of town.
It's why police have emphasized a social media campaign in recent months encouraging residents to follow the #9PMRoutine - a nightly check to make sure houses, garages and cars are locked, keys aren't left inside and valuables are removed.
"We've got to change the mindset that 'It's great. It's safe,'" said Brandi Romag, the police department's crime prevention officer. "People from other areas know (residents) might not lock their cars, so they keep coming back, and they're having successes here."
Romag said the crimes aren't unique to Arlington Heights - they've been happening throughout the North and Northwest suburbs.