CONNECTICUT, USA — Multiple suspects driving around in a stolen vehicle tried to steal cars and break into them on at least seven different streets early Monday morning, Glastonbury police said.
One of those was John Laplante's neighborhood..
"It was about 3:20 this morning, and the alarm system alerted me that somebody was in the driveway," he said. "So, I looked out the window and I saw a vehicle turning around in the driveway."
Laplante told FOX61 his security cameras captured the moments suspects checked his cars' door handles.
Fortunately, everything was locked, but it's not the first time it has happened, leaving him feeling helpless to the uptick in these crimes.
"There's not a heck of a lot of you can do and apparently there's not a heck of a lot the police can do either," he added. "The officer that came out, indicated that he probably passed the perpetrator on the way here. There was a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed, no lights, and you know they couldn't chase them."
Police pursuits can pose a danger to other people on the streets. However, those in favor of stricter laws argue there's also a danger in the possibility of these crimes escalating.
"They continue to go on and there's no consequences for these crimes being committed by the young people, the juveniles," Robert Nielsen, of North Haven told FOX61.
Voicing their concerns at a forum on juvenile crime in North Haven, residents from around the state shared their worries that they could be the next victims of theft.
"Like most people, I lock everything and there's cameras, and yet that doesn't protect anyone from being a crime victim," John Porriello with Safe Streets CT said.
However, police say they're still finding many people are making themselves targets, and while it is not foolproof, locking up does go a long way.
"A lot of the stolen cars are people that have left their key fobs in the cars, they'll start the cars and it starts up and it's like oh there was a spare key in the car," North Haven PD's Lt. Matthew Falcon added. "It's almost self-inflicted, people failing to check or we forget, we're human, we understand that."
These crimes are not only committed by juveniles, but police said many times they are, and often times one person is also behind several incidents.
Gaby Molina is a reporter and anchor at FOX61 News. She can be reached at gmolina@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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