Car Break-Ins : Be On The Lookout

A reader wrote that last night he was walking on Buena, between Sheridan and Broadway, when he saw some cars being broken into along the street, which was well-lit.  He called 911 immediately, as soon as he was out of their sight, but the thieves left in a hurry once they knew they had been spotted.

Please stay aware of your surroundings, as your neighbor did, and call 911 if you see anything suspicious.  This happened right across from Bar On Buena, which still had people in it, so don't think "oh, it's nothing" just because there are people around.

This is what tripped our reader's Spidey sense:  "I saw a dark colored minivan (with first three numbers on plate being N65) extremely closely double-parked next to 2 parked cars. As I walked closer, what I thought might have been happening was proven true. 3-4 black males with tools in hand moving very quickly breaking into cars. I made straight eye contact with one of the men. I was on the same side of the street as them! They quickly continued their business and sped off like a bat outta hell, so to speak."

A reminder:  If you are a victim of a crime, make a police report.  The cops can't be aware of crime patterns if no one lets them know what's going on.  You may not get your stuff back, but the police can be on alert if they are notified about what's going on.  And, of course, don't leave anything "enticing" in your car, like a purse, a shopping bag, or cash.