Fund Raiser Scam

A report came in from a neighbor:

 

We had a lady come in to ask if our school (DPM) was doing a fund raiser at this time.  She was told we are not.  It turns out she does not even live in DPM's  attendance area (she lives up by Pope Ave).  She had a little Hispanic girl about 3^rd grade with her mother who seems to speak good English, has long hair and is thin.  Mom was pushing a stroller with a little one in tow and the young girl was trying to sell items that I believe came from the dollar store and she said she was representing Del Paso Manor.  Please help put the warning out there to all our neighbors  

Home Burglaries

DPM Burglary:

A resident on Kino reported their house was burglarized while they were out of town between Saturday, 11/17, and Weds, 11/21.  They believe the thieves gained access to the house through a side gate and a little used unlocked door.  The burglars took a laptop computer, a backpack, and a number of movies.

Burglary in adjacent neighborhood: 

A resident on the 3800 block of JoAnn Drive, (Near Robertson and Marconi) reported a burglary of opportunity similar to the one in our neighborhood.  It appears the burglars payed attention to the family's absence on Thanksgiving Day.

They took an Xbox 360, a controller, a PS2 controller, a PS2 game, all the jewelry (despite it only being either costume or sentimental), a jar of $150 in coins.  Oddly, they did not touch any other electronics or DVDs/games.

[Note:  there are enough differences in the burglaries that these probably aren't the same criminals, but the similarities can be instructive:  the burglars clearly took time to note when the houses were vacant.  Be sure to watch for unusual activity in your neighborhood and don't be afraid to call the police.]


Additional Vehicle Burglary

We have another vehicle burglary to add to the ones previously reported on unlocked vehicles.  $3 in change was taken from an unlocked vehicle on LaPaz.

Chuck's note to Victims and Neighors:

To victims, please file a police report.  Remember that even if the police do not have the resources to do much about your burglary or you only lost $3 in change from your unlocked car, reports lead to increased police presence and therefore decreased crime in our neighborhood.

Be proactive!
If you notice a strange vehicle parked on the street, check with your neighbors to see if they know who it belongs to.  If it is unknown, it doesn't hurt to call the CHP, and report it.  They can check to see if the registration is current, ignition switch is damaged, or if there's any other suspicious irregularity.  Car thieves may dump cars here, but more important is that this vehicle may belong to someone breaking into your neighbor's home.

We often feel relief when we aren't the victims of the crimes posted here, but vigilance and a call to the Sheriff's Department or CHP might keep you or your friends from being the next to come home to find your home and privacy violated.

Vehicle Burglaries

Chuck sends:  Well the quiet spell is over, these were reported in the last two days.

3700 Block of Font on Tuesday, November 20, 2012

My car parked in my driveway was opened and gone through.  There was some cash taken as well as a few cards for free car washes and the most valuable thing was an iPod.  I normally always lock my car but came in last evening with an arm load of items and may have forgotten.  There were no signs of a break-in.  The irony of it all is I'm in a court and generally the only one who has a lot of lights on as well as motion lights that shine brightly on my car.  My dog was barking to the front of the house last night and I should have paid more attention.  I just assumed it was a cat cruising through to get him all riled up.  Whoever went through my stuff searched through everything and I mean everything as it was a mess when I opened it up this afternoon.  It's not horrible as it can all be replaced but the iPod was given to me by Jim and he put all my personal favorites on there and I think of him when I'm driving around.....just sentimental.  I guess plus it's always creepy when someone goes through your personal things. Sure makes me wish I had a garage!

[Please note that if you had insurance information in your car, you may want to sign up with an identity protection service, as it can be used in identity theft if it was taken.]

2500 Block of Maryal, Tuesday, November 20, 2012

My truck was ransacked last night, I may have forgotten to lock it, but just thought I would share...near Avalon & Maryal.  Nothing was actually taken.
I will call the Sheriff & let them know.

Someone is walking through the Hood & checking doors...don't forget to lock up!

3700 Block of Duran Circle, Tuesday, November 20, 2012

An unlocked vehicle parked in the driveway was ransacked.  Only loose change was taken.

2600 Block of Ione and 2600-2700 Block of Maryal, Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Over the weekend, someone slashed numerous cars' tires on Ione Street and I believe on Maryal, as well.

Reminders from Chuck 

Remember, it gets darker earlier and lasts longer.  In addition, people tend to stay indoors with the colder/wetter weather and this gives thieves more time and less chance of being seen.  Lock your vehicles, and remove any valuables.

If you have security lighting, make sure it works properly. "Dual-brite" lights are nice, because they always give some light until they detects motion, whereupon they brighten up.

Enjoy your holidays, be safe, and protect your property.

A note from me:

Be sure to say hi to your neighbors.  Be sure to look for the normal cars and patterns in your neighborhood.  If you see something out of the ordinary, call the police and call your neighbors.  If I had to guess, I'd suspect all Tuesday's incidents were perpetrated by the same person or group.  If we'd been paying attention, we might have had them apprehended by the police.  Let's make sure nobody gets to engage in that kind of spree again.