Car burglaries on the rise in Lee County

Published: Updated:
dumbonyc / CC BY-SA 2.0

FORT MYERS, Fla.- More than a dozen car burglaries have been reported within the last two weeks from Fort Myers Beach to North Fort Myers, Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers said on Thursday.

Authorities say in almost every burglary, the victims’ car doors were left unlocked.

Tuesday night, four cars were stolen on Fort Myers Beach, and others were broken into. Officials say car owners made it easy for the thieves by leaving their vehicles unlocked, and some even left the keys in the ignition.

Last week, two thieves were caught on camera breaking into a car on St. Clair Avenue in North Fort Myers in the middle of the night.The suspects stole roughly $400 in tools, a $350 Louisville Slugger baseball bat and a purse left in the backseat of the unlocked car.

“Car thefts and burglaries are some of the easiest crimes to prevent, and it only takes a matter of seconds to keep yourself from being victimized,” said Trish Routte, Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers coordinator.

If you have any information on the string of thefts, call Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477). All callers will remain anonymous and will be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000. Tips may also be made online at www.swflcrimestoppers.org or by texting a tip to CRIMES (274637) Keyword: REWARD.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.