Despite the sunny weather, April 14th and 15th were some dark days for a few Santa Clarita residents. At some point between Thursday, April 14th and Friday, April 15th, a car was broken into near Jake’s Way and Eleanor Circle. An unknown suspect smashed the rear passenger side window of a vehicle and stole cash, sunglasses and CDs. During the same 24-hour period, a 1993 white Honda Accord was stolen from the 27300 block of Fahren Court. Finally, on Friday April 15th, an unknown suspect opened the unlocked door of a vehicle on Ascona Dr. and stole a backpack that contained a variety of things.
Unfortunately, crimes like this happen all the time. Often, victims never get their items back and the suspects are not caught. The frequent absence of justice in these instances is in no way due to a lack of diligence on the part of the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station deputies, so much as a dearth of evidence. Crimes like this are often the result of opportunity as opposed to premeditation. Would-be thieves are far less likely to attempt to break into someone’s car if there area bunch of people standing around, or if the vehicle is someplace easily observable. That being said, below are a few tips to help you limit your risk in becoming a victim of an opportunistic criminal:
- Lock your car. It seems incredibly obvious – and it is – but it’s also an easy thing to forget to do, especially if your mind is focusing on something else.
- Do not leave items of any value, especially money, in your car. If you’re unable to take everything with you, at least put it out of view. Thieves are opportunists, and they don’t want to risk themselves for nothing. If your car appears to have nothing of value in it, it’s less likely to be broken into.
- Park someplace well-lit. A car parked on a swath of the street that’s bathed in blackness can be a tantalizing target. A car parked directly under a street lamp, or better yet in your own driveway, is decidedly less so.