MCSO: Arrests pending in slew of Montgomery County car break-ins

Montgomery County Sheriff's Office officials say they are close to making arrests in a slew of vehicle break-ins that have plagued the area.

Lt. Brady Fitzgerald, spokesman for MCSO, said warrants are pending for a number of individuals that law enforcement suspects have been involved in an organized effort to burglarize motor vehicles in different parts of the county.

"They've recovered lots of property," Fitzgerald said. "They might be able to solve over 100 cases."

Burglary of a motor vehicle is one of the more common crimes in the county – especially in high-density retail centers. Fitzgerald explained that the more organized thieves stake out shopping center parking lots, looking in car windows for valuables that the owner left inside. Sometimes they'll only take items if the car is left unlocked, but other times they may break a window to steal valuables.

The holiday season tends to be a high-volume time for burglaries of a motor vehicle, as shoppers are out in droves to buy gifts.

Parking lots aren't the only places getting hit, however. On Tuesday, four vehicles in a Woodlands neighborhood were burglarized. Fitzgerald said incidents in neighborhoods are generally less organized, with the thieves mostly checking for unlocked cars and taking what they find valuable.

"The kids call it 'car hopping,'" Fitzgerald said. "Some will take some CDs and leave others. … They'll put things up on social media trying to sell them."

Fitzgerald said detectives still are investigating the burglaries.

He also encouraged all residents to lock their vehicles and not leave valuables in them, regardless of where they are.