RICHMOND, Va. — Residents in Richmond's Fulton neighborhood are dealing with a rash of car break-ins that they say have increased since schools let out for summer break. Surveillance video shows suspects checking door handles and searching through vehicles for valuables during overnight hours.
CBS 6 Crime Insider Jon Burkett obtained surveillance footage showing suspects checking handles on an SUV and actually entering the vehicle to search for items to steal. Residents said this is becoming a nightly problem between midnight and 3 a.m.
"They walk down two people - one on each side and pull on the handles until one opened or they saw the alarm blinking. It happened at least twice to me," one resident said.
Manville Williams says his cars were targeted a year ago on Mount Erin Drive, and he's not surprised that Goddin Street, just two streets east, is now experiencing similar problems.
"Frustrating that someone can come and take what you own and claim it as theirs, you know, it's violating," Williams said.
Sources tell me this area has been a hot spot for car break-ins in recent weeks, with several calls per night coming in, especially during the early morning hours.
"Definitely heard about it," another resident said.
The affected area stretches from apartments at the bottom of the street to about three blocks north and east. Several residents who declined to be identified on camera say they've experienced so many break-ins lately that they no longer report them to police, but they worry about the thefts escalating to more serious crimes.
"So one of my roommates, I might've left her car unlocked and they came and jammed a screwdriver in the ignition and it broke off. It didn't work but since then we've been vigilant about locking our doors," a resident explained.
Police ask anyone who recognizes the young man in the surveillance video to contact them. They also remind drivers to lock their doors and remove all valuables when leaving their vehicles.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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