FORT MYERS, Fla-- On a day meant for giving thanks, thieves instead ransacked several cars in North Fort Myers. The crime taking place along North Westwood Drive in the Yacht Club Colony neighborhood.
"It's just very strange, very strange and I would have never expected it," said resident Richard Arnold.
Arnold said he lives right across the street from one of the homes the thieves targeted and was shocked to learn what happened on Thanksgiving morning. He described Yacht Club Colony as a quiet neighborhood where residents are always looking out for each other.
However, Crime Stoppers said even in the friendliest of places, car break-in's are on the rise right now including gated communities.
"People become a little bit desperate around the holidays, holidays are a very stressful time for people so we do tend to see more violent crime, more property crimes this time of year so anything you can do to protect yourself from becoming a victim, take that one extra step," said Trish Routte.
Routte said the extra step is simply to lock your car.
"Criminals will go up and down the street, they'll put their hands of every car that's out in the driveway, if the doors locked they'll move on to the next car, if the doors unlocked they'll go in and take cash, jewelry, valuable, whatever they can get then they'll go to the next one," said Routte.
You can contact Crime Stoppers with any information at: 1-800-780-TIPS.
