Auto burglars are targeting vehicles parked at a pair of Starbucks locations in Hercules.

It is a story KRON4 first brought you on Friday. On Tuesday, police investigators took a longer view and found smash-and-grab burglaries are an emerging trend in other locations as well.

Leaving personal items in plain sight in your vehicle is just the thing auto burglars are looking for in the Hercules, where there has been a spike in smash-and-grab break-ins.

“Over the past two months, we’ve had about 20 auto burglaries,” Hercules police spokeswoman Connie Van Putten said.

And there are common threads to the cases.

“Most of these auto (burglaries) are occurring in strip malls, a lot them early in the morning, 5:30, 6 o’clock, 6:30 and windows are smashed out, suspect vehicles have been seen, usually described as a dark colored sedan with no plates or paper plates,” Van Putten said.

“I just tell people don’t leave anything in your cars anymore and you won’t get broken into,” Franklin Canyon Gold Course Member Stan Miller said.

That is good advice for members of Franklin Canyon Golf Course.

It is another location targeted during this wave of smash-and-grab burglaries.

“We’ve had at least five over the last two months at the golf course,” Van Putten said.

Police have limited descriptions of any auto burglars in these cases.

Investigators are reviewing the strip mall and golf course surveillance videos for any possible leads.

WHAT OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON:

>>MORE STORIES