HERCULES (KRON)—A rash of car break-ins have residents on edge in the East Bay.
KRON4’s Hermela Aregawi reports in Hercules.
On Saturday night, Hercules police are on high alert after a series of car break-ins.
Since October 1, more than 40 cars have been broken into.
In the majority of the cases, windows are smashed in and valuables stolen.
The recent cases are in various areas in the town with a few happening near the 1900 block of Refugio Valley road.
People in the neighborhoods said they didn’t know about the break-ins but they weren’t surprised either.
“I know there are a lot of problems at the high school from time to time and I also know crime has risen here in Hercules,” said resident Leah Conyers. “I don’t know if its people from the neighborhood that are doing this or from wherever.”
“My assumption, it’s just an assumption sometimes they’re not people from Hercules,” said resident Gianni Audieri. “They have to be from the surrounding area somehow.”
Police say the majority of the cases involve valuables left in the car, so they’re advising residents to be aware of that.
Audieri says he keeps his cars unlocked.
“If they want to break in, I would have to chain the window,” Audieri said. “If it’s open, they’re going to take whatever’s inside which is hardly anything, maybe newspaper or something like hat.”
“We did not used to do that but yes I lock this car, this door, everything I close it and when we go away, I have a house sitter, she locks every window, every door,” said resident Leah Conyers.