CRIME NEWS: Hide Garage Door Openers

The following is an article from the Charlotte Observer, sent to the email list by Chris Evans.

Hide garage-door openers, police warn

Coordinated thefts 'a new phenomenon'

VANESSA WILLIS, vwillis@charlotteobserver.com

Thieves in southern Mecklenburg County have stolen garage-door openers from cars and used them to break into houses -- a method of coordination not seen before in the Charlotte area, police say.

Since March 19, thieves have broken into four vehicles parked at Ballantyne-area businesses to steal garage-door openers and then immediately rob the owners' homes. They used information from each vehicle's registration card to locate the houses, said Detective Steve Simono of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police.

"This is a new phenomenon," he said. "We always talk about locking up laptops and not leaving iPods and GPS systems in plain view, but I guess it needs to extend to garage-door openers. It's something I had never put a lot of thought into."

On March 19, thieves broke into a car outside Zapata's Mexican Cantina at Ballantyne Commons East. The owner's home off of Sharon Road was robbed shortly afterward.

Also that day, a car was robbed outside Ilios Noche restaurant off Providence Road near I-485. Then the thieves broke into the owner's Weddington home.

"The lady came in and had lunch at my restaurant, and they stole her cell phone and her garage-door opener out of her car," said Ilios Noche owner Stratos Lambos. "She got home and thought it was odd that she couldn't find her opener, and then realized her house had been robbed." Lambos said he has invited the woman back to the restaurant for a free dinner.

"It's something to worry about, that people would do such a thing in broad daylight, with people coming and going to the shops and the grocery store in our shopping center," he said. "I'm worried about crime because of the economy, but overall we've felt safe here."

On March 20, thieves broke into a car at Ballantyne Corporate Park and then robbed the owner's home off Rea Road.

The most recent incident, on Tuesday, started in the parking lot at Macaroni Grill at the Promenade on Providence, and ended at the vehicle owner's home in Union County. Because of the short time span between the vehicle and home break-ins, Simono said he believes the thieves are coordinated.

"We're surmising that they have a GPS, or at least an old-fashioned map book," he said. "It's a real gamble they're taking, because someone else could be at the homes."

The thieves have taken items including remote-control model airplanes, tools and a chain saw from the victims' homes and garages. In one case, the thieves set off a home alarm system and left without taking anything, Simono said.

Simono recommends that drivers stow their garage-door openers where they can't be seen and easily accessed -- such as in the trunk -- or take the openers with them.

He also said there's no evidence linking these incidents to a series of more than 50 home break-ins across south Charlotte in the winter. Thieves kicked in several homes' front doors and stole expensive items including electronics. Police have made a few arrests in connection with those incidents and credit watchful neighbors for helping them prevent additional break-ins.