Neighborhoods from Marion Drive to Edgewood Park have been plagued by a rash of recent automobile burglaries, McComb police detectives said.
Detective Sid Boyte acknowledged the burglaries have been happening for a while.
“Sporadically, it’s been all over,” he said, recalling break-ins that have occurred on West Street, Hillcrest Avenue, Park Street, Lakeview Avenue and in the Edgewood subdivision, which he said have been “hit the hardest,”
“It’s been from Marion Avenue to Delaware Avenue to Jackson Avenue to Edgewood Park — all in that area in a one-mile radius,” Boyte said.
The break-ins haven’t been confined to that side of town.
Other areas that have been hit include Third Street, Missouri Avenue, Virginia Avenue and other areas.
Boyte said the burglaries have taken place between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., and they usually happen the same way — with the thief breaking car windows with a rock and taking whatever they can find.
“There are similarities between all of the burglaries. They’re taking what they can get. Some of them, nothing is being taken out of the vehicles,” Boyte said.
Dusty Simmons, whose vehicle was burglarized, posted a notice to the thieves on Facebook: “To the person or people who threw rocks at my passenger side glass broke in and stole my beats headphones along with my sr 9 mm pistol: Security cameras are going up along with motion sensors. Theft. Hate it more than anything in the world. Hopefully if tried again, I will catch you. I am giving a 2,000 cash bounty leading to info for the arrest of the person or people responsible. Everyone please share.”
Others left comments to the post that they too had been hit.
In one of the more recent cases, Cory Rawls reported told officers that someone broke into his 2013 Nissan Pathfinder in the 700 block of New York Avenue around 5:50 p.m. Tuesday and took a pocket knife.
Boyte said the department has increased patrol in the areas where the thefts have occurred.
“If anyone sees anything suspicious, call the police,” Boyte said. “Don’t leave any valuables or bags in your car. Leave your car empty.”
Guns, money and jewelry have been reported stolen in most of the cases, but Boyte said the thieves will take just about anything. “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “They’ve taken backpacks out of cars, anything.”
While police are investigating a rash of auto burglaries, thieves also are breaking into houses, which is common just before Christmas, Boyte said.
“I still urge everyone to invest in a home security system,” he said.
He said the thefts of packages also ramp up around Christmas.
“Try to have someone at your house to pick up packages. If someone sees a package on your door step, they’ll pick it up,” he said.
Boyte said anyone with any information on the cases should call the McComb police at 684-3023.
