Authorities are investigating a string of thefts from motor vehicles in Carrollton occurring Sunday night.
The owners of at least 58 vehicles reported that they had been broken into in the early hours of December 3, according to Fox 4 KDFW. Most victims reside in the Meadow Ridge and Harvest Run neighborhoods.
“I woke up at 6 a.m. to my mom screaming at me, and she was like, come outside, come outside, someone broke into your car,” said Jacob Johnson, one of several residents waking up to find the vehicle’s windows smashed and emptied of valuables.
“I came outside and I just saw glass all over the place. You can still see some of the small speckles. It was all blown out,” Johnson said, adding that he believes the thieves struck at around 3 a.m.
Johnson had left his wallet in his car, which he vowed to stop doing.
“Definitely keep my wallet on me and maybe park my car in the back, so nobody sees it,” Johnson added.
Several home surveillance cameras caught images of what appeared to be a small group of suspects roaming the streets and alleyways in the early hours.
One such video submitted to police as evidence showed three suspects walking down Greenview Drive, one of whom was later spotted rummaging inside a sedan.
In Dallas, theft offenses involving motor vehicles have taken off this year, landing in the city’s top three most frequently logged crimes.
Motor vehicle theft is the highest in prevalence, with 17,525 incidents reported as of December 5, according to the Dallas Police Department’s crime analytics dashboard. Coming in third behind simple assaults is theft from motor vehicles, with 12,499 offenses clocked in that same period. Motor vehicle theft and theft from motor vehicles have swelled by 40.9% and 3.8%, respectively, compared to last year.
As crime continues to increase, DPD labors against an officer shortage. It currently employs fewer than 3,200 officers despite a City report recommending approximately 4,000 to ensure public safety in Dallas.
Downtown Dallas sees significantly higher crime rates — including motor vehicle theft — compared to the city center of Fort Worth, which is patrolled by a special police unit and private security guards.