String of recent car break-ins leaves drivers concerned

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - After a rash of car break-ins over the past few days, many in Jonesboro are wondering how they can keep their vehicle safe during the holidays.

Daniel Raines lost a lot. He said he locked his doors when he went to run errands, and when he came back, all his things were gone.

“When I came back out and noticed the driver’s side door was unlocked, all my test gear, my cell phone -- especially my work phone was stolen,” Raines said.

He had just started his new job with AM Communications and when he went inside, he locked the doors, so like anyone else, he was not too happy to notice everything had been stolen.

“I know I can’t say what I exactly said,” Raines admitted. “I was like, ‘Great, now I am going to get fired.’”

Raines is not alone. Someone recently broke into the Cavenaugh Hyundai dealership and stole the keys to customer vehicles and removed at least three of those cars from the company lot.

In addition, at least eleven other reports of break-ins have happened in various locations throughout Jonesboro.

Craighead County Sheriff’s Office contributes steep in crease in incidents to the holidays.

“It seems like it has had an increase because there are more valuables and people are shopping,” Patrol Captain Jason Allen explained. “We’ve seen an uptick in car break-ins, and you know, people leave valuables in plain sight, and that’s just an enticement for people to break in.”

The sheriff’s office said there is no rhyme or reason for the break-ins, saying they believe none of them are connected. They added that petty crimes tend to increase around the holiday season.

The most obvious way to protect your car is to lock your doors, but Allen stressed that nothing valuable should be left in cars or left where people can easily see it.

Another way to protect your vehicle is to park near lights in busy parking lots.

As far the break-ins themselves, the sheriff’s office and Jonesboro Police Department said the break-ins have no pattern and that they are continuing to investigate each individual case as victims call in.

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