Hooded man caught on camera looking in cars with flashlight in Golden Gate

A man in a hooded sweatshirt was caught on camera shining a flashlight inside a car at Golden Gate looking to see what was up for grabs.

The neighborhood has been hit hard with burglaries and they think it’s because of one person. Neighbors say the burglaries are even happening during the day.

“They’ve tried to open the vehicles in my driveway and we’re worried because this has never happened before,” Perez said.

Aide Portillo, a Golden Gate resident, hears the stories and knows about the video and she’s a bit nervous. WINK News asked if she feels safe in the neighborhood? “No, not really, not anymore,” Portillo said. “Because this happened two times in a couple of months.”

Golden Gate resident Joseph Lopez and his family are on high alert too. “My dad just like left his car here unlocked for like an hour maybe tops an hour and a half and then the guy went into the car probably during broad daylight,” Lopez said.

Lopez feels fortunate the burglar only got away with a backpack, but it’s small comfort. “Like that to happen, to as many people as it did that’s crazy,” Lopez said. “We just can’t trust anybody like that anymore.”

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office said despite the worries from neighbors their detectives are not seeing a spike in car burglaries in Golden Gate. And CCSO said everyone should lock their car doors.