BEL AIR, Md. — Caught on camera, thieves were rifling through cars and running from homes where they stole items in the early hours of the morning Sunday in Harford County.
It appears victims, like Cecilia Gayo, had let their collective guards down.
“My glove box was open, I thought my car was locked, but apparently it was not,” said Gayo. “We’re not sure if our garage was left open or not, but our garage was open and my dad’s car, the passenger door was open too.”
Working together, police say at least four thieves wore gloves and masks while moving quickly and quietly through neighborhoods in Fallston, Bel Air and Forest Hill.
They ended up stealing three vehicles, and in all three cases, the keys were either left inside them or nearby where they were easily accessible.
So often, police advise people ‘If you see something, say something’, and in this case, it nearly led to the capture of the thieves.
“We were able to recover one of the stolen vehicles,” said Major Donald Gividen of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, “While deputies continued to canvas the area a deputy saw another stolen vehicle. A short pursuit ensued.”
The deputy backed off when the suspects sped away at a high rate of speed.
In addition to the thefts from cars, the thieves also used garage door openers left inside them to gain access into homes, and police are encouraging people to better secure their property so they won’t have to resort to more drastic means of protecting it.
“Let’s put it this way, I have a gun right by my bed,” said Paul Winberry of Forest Hill, “It isn’t much. It’s just a little .22 revolver, but I think it would stop them.”
