Rash of Raleigh car break-ins puts residents on edge
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- While most of the state was snowed in, a thief was busy breaking in to nearly two dozen cars in two Raleigh neighborhoods.
Late Saturday night into early Sunday morning, police say 17 cars were broken into in Raleigh's North Hills neighborhood.
Then, late Monday night into early Tuesday morning, another half-dozen car owners were victims at the Inside Wade neighborhood in West Raleigh.
Investigators say every one of the cars in North Hills was unlocked. And, only a couple of owners at Inside Wade reported locking their cars.
One car owner there, Bobbi Mullins, says she usually has her car secured in the garage but left it out Sunday night and didn't lock it.
Mullins said she's learned her lesson. She feels fortunate that there was nothing of value inside to be stolen, although someone definitely rummaged around looking for something.
She says she's also learned that safe neighborhoods aren't necessarily a safe haven from crime.
"It's a well-lit neighborhood and we do have police patrols periodically. So, yeah, I mean, I've never felt afraid here," Mullins told ABC11.
"I think it was just a [fluke] thing," Mullins said. "Sounds like it's going on in neighborhoods here and there."
Police believe the two sprees are likely related, because a car stolen during the North Hills break-ins was abandoned at Inside Wade.
The abandoned vehicle was the second car stolen from North Hills. The first got stuck in the snow.
After the thief (or thieves) abandoned the car stolen from North Hills, they stole a 2011 Ford Taurus from Inside Wade.
The vast majority of cars broken into in Raleigh these days aren't really broken into. A police spokesperson say the majority are unlocked.
