Tonya Maxwell

tmaxwell@citizen-times.com

BREVARD - Officials are warning visitors using one of the most well-traveled routes in Pisgah National Forest to use caution after a series of recent car break-ins has targeted about a dozen vehicles.

The rash of thefts has occurred along an eight-mile stretch of U.S. 276. That two-lane paved road runs along the Davidson River leading to some of Pisgah’s top attractions.

“They’re concentrated from Sycamore Flats up to about the Cradle of Forestry,” said Cathy Dowd, spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service. “The Cradle is not having the problem, but we’re seeing it when people are parking along the road to go into things like Sliding Rock Falls. It’s in picnic area parking at Sycamore Flats – there was an incident there yesterday [Tuesday] morning – and along roadside parking. We’re seeing cars that are broken into, sometimes through broken windows and sometimes the cars are left unlocked.”

Five of the smash-and-grabs occurred on one day, June 17, said Chief Deputy Eddie Gunter of the Transylvania County Sheriff's Office. Those cases have been turned over to the Forest Service, but sheriff's deputies continue to investigate six similar thefts of items from cars from Dupont State Recreational Forest.

The cases are likely related, he said, with thieves targeting vehicles where purses, cameras and laptops are in view.

"They might not be rocket scientists, but sometimes they’re not as not as dumb as they look," Gunter said of thieves. "They know if someone is parked at a trailhead, those folks will be hiking for some length of time and they probably have some time to scout that area out."

Dowd recommends anyone visiting the area leave valuables at home or carry them when they leave the car. When that is impossible, she said guests should hide valuables in the car, but do so before arriving at a destination, in case a would-be thief is watching for potential targets. Cars should also be kept locked.

“They do have some leads they are investigating and the intent from that is to try and identify some potential suspects,” Dowd said. “Because there’s so much traffic, it’s very likely people are seeing something that they could report to us.”

Anyone who has seen suspicious activity or needs to report an incident is asked to call the Pisgah Ranger District at (828) 877-3265.