MELVINDALE, Mich. (WXYZ) — A string of car break-ins across multiple metro Detroit cities has police on high alert, with investigators believing the crimes may be connected to an organized ring targeting vehicles in coordinated nighttime strikes.
Watch Faraz Javed's video report:
Security footage from Melvindale shows thieves hitting seven vehicles in a single night on Sept. 18, part of a pattern that has emerged across the region in recent weeks.
"Sad, heartbreaking because like I said, a lot of people work hard for this stuff," said Robert Littler, whose work truck was broken into on Wall Street around 2 a.m.
Thieves used tools to pry open his vehicle's lock and ransacked the interior, stealing nearly $1,000 worth of equipment.
"They stuck something in there, a screwdriver or something, bent this back, maybe stuck an airbag or something in there and then popped my lock with some type of rod or something. My glove box, center console, everything was up, ran through," Littler said.
The break-ins weren't isolated to his street. Neighbors discovered their vehicles had also been targeted, with one victim losing $4,000 worth of equipment from a cleaning company vehicle.
Melvindale interim Police Chief Chris Egan said items were stolen from six other vehicles across the city, including on Henry and Hanna streets. Among the stolen items was a handgun, which remains missing.
"Mostly small items, some miscellaneous stuff. One of the vehicles had a handgun in it," Egan said.
While most targeted vehicles were unlocked, Egan believes the crimes are connected to an organized operation.
"I believe they're connected because it all happened the same night. We had three cars stolen from a city adjoining to us. They came into our city and then those same three cars that were stolen were dumped in a different city a few away," Egan said.
The pattern extends beyond Melvindale. Allen Park police report 11 break-ins in the last five weeks, with four occurring on the same night as the Melvindale incidents.
Watch video of one of the break-ins below:
Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin said his city is experiencing similar crimes including car thefts, mostly during early-morning hours.
"Of all the cars that were broken into and stolen, every single one of them was left unlocked," Shahin said.
On Monday, Dearborn police arrested an armed 15-year-old for a car break-in, highlighting the involvement of juvenile suspects in the crimes.
"And they're definitely an organized group of juveniles that are out there doing it. But beyond just, stealing cars and joyriding or trying to take things from the cars, they become more violent. So, there was a shooting associated with this group in Redford when a resident in Redford tried to intervene and prevent them from stealing things from his car," Shahin said.
Web extra: Police respond after vehicle break-in believed to be tied to organized ring
The unpredictable nature of the crimes has law enforcement adjusting their strategies.
"It's a guessing game, right? You don't know when they're going to hit, where they're going to hit," Egan said.
Police departments have increased patrols and launched undercover operations in response. Egan said law enforcement now has enhanced tools to catch perpetrators, including Flock cameras and license plate readers.
"Our license plate readers, you can take your license plate off. It still reads the vehicle. We have cameras that are up. So does Allen Park and Lincoln Park and Taylor and Dearborn. And the best part is if you have one in this community, you have access to all the cameras nationwide," Egan said.
Police are urging residents to lock their vehicles and avoid leaving valuable items inside. They also encourage community members to report suspicious activity to help prevent future crimes.
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