Hundreds of car break-ins plague Triangle communities

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Car break-ins are plaguing communities across the Triangle.

Hundreds of cars have had their windows broken in Raleigh, Durham, and Cary.

On Sunday night, more than 40 were hit in a locked, gated apartment complex in Durham.

Ebun Olunuga and Adwoa Baffoe-Eonni started their first day of the second year of medical school at Duke but both woke up to the smashed windows.

"Neither of us had valuables in our car like there was nothing to take," Ebun said. "If you want my lotion, take it. Just such a headache and they didn't take anything."

They live at University Hill off Shannon Road. So does Bri Barrera.

"We've always felt pretty safe and that it wouldn't happen because of all the security to get into this lost," said Barrera, who just got back from vacation. "It's just annoying, especially on a Monday. It feels like it set the tone for the rest of the week."

Durham Police said more than 40 cars were broken into at Liberty Warehouse on Foster Street. Just last week, 605 West End had the same issue.

That is where Blaire Cahana had her car parked.

"I always park on the first level, I've never felt insecure in my building before until this happened then I found out it's happening all over Durham and it's been happening for months now," Blaire said.

Cary Police said about 840 cars were broken into in 2022. That number is nearly 700 this year and it's only the end of July.

"It's obvious that those numbers have gone up and we've known that for some time," said Sgt. Kenric Alexander of the Cary Police Department. "If someone has the intention of doing it, they're going to break into the car. There's little we can do to stop them."

Cary Police said they've tried to target their patrols in specific places like apartment complexes.

The break-ins are such a problem in Durham that a glass place told Barrera that it could be six to eight weeks before her window gets fixed. She is taking the car to Fayetteville instead.