Following string of recent burglaries, Cedar City Police remind residents to lock vehicles at night

Stock image of a model emulating someone breaking into a vehicle, Cedar City, April 23, 2020 | Photo by Kelsey Cooke, St George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — Several vehicle burglaries over the weekend are prompting Cedar City Police to issue another reminder for people to lock their cars at night.

Map with blue markers showing approximate locations of eight vehicle burglaries reported to Cedar City Police Department between Nov. 19-22, 2020 | Map created by Jeff Richards using Google Maps, St. George News / Cedar City News

According to recent Cedar City Police report summaries, no fewer than eight vehicle burglaries or thefts from a vehicle were reported between Thursday and Sunday in the Cedar City area. The incidents included both residential and commercial areas, including three motels. Sgt. Clint Pollock told Cedar City News that in each of these eight instances, the vehicle was unlocked.

“The recurring theme seems to be people not locking their vehicles,” Pollock, adding that sometimes thieves do break into locked vehicles as well.

“I’m not saying that it doesn’t happen, because we do have vehicle burglaries where the windows are broken, but in the vast majority of our vehicle burglaries, the vehicles were unlocked.”

A variety of items were taken in the latest thefts, Pollock noted, including money, wallets, purses, tools and at least one firearm.

“This is a crime of opportunity, for criminals to check the doors,” Pollock said. “And if they’re unlocked, they’re going to take what they can find of value, to get whatever they can out of it.”

The sergeant reminded residents of the 9 p.m. routine of making sure outside lights are on and vehicle doors are locked.

Cedar City Police posted a surveillance video on the department’s official Facebook page Monday morning, along with a plea for the public to help identify the person shown driving up in a blue car into a parking lot, getting briefly out of the vehicle and then back in and driving away. 

The time stamp indicates the footage was taken starting at 3:17 a.m. on Thursday and the case number accompanying the video corresponds to a vehicle theft reported near 244 N. Westview Drive.

Anyone with information about that particular case, including the person of interest or the car he is driving, is asked to call Cedar City Police Department at 435-586-2956 and ask for Officer B. Peterson and reference case number C20-03523. Information regarding any of the other recent burglaries may also be reported in the same way, the police department said.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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