Owners urged to lock cars as thefts increase
Vehicle owners are urged to lock them after two armed suspects burglarized 19 vehicles left unlocked in a North Bexar County neighborhood.
Sheriff Javier Salazar said the suspects were walking up to homes and checking cars around 3 a.m. Sunday in the Canyon Crest neighborhood.
Investigators have released images and security camera footage of the suspects and are asking the public for help identifying them.
Also, Salazar is encouraging people to fall into the “9 p.m. routine,” saying that by that time each night, people should have removed all valuables from their cars and locked them.
Salazar said that while car burglary is often a misdemeanor, the armed suspects pose a threat with unknown intentions.
“These folks are literally walking from house to house, car to car in the middle of the night down the street brandishing firearms in their hands,” Salazar said.
Investigators do not know whether it is an intimidation tactic or a way for the suspects to defend themselves when confronted by area residents.
It is also not known whether the weapons belong to the suspects or whether they were taken during the spree of burglaries.
“It’s a trend that we’ve seen a lot here recently where some of the weapons that we’re dealing with on the street are being stolen from cars,” Salazar said.
The sheriff recalled a similar situation in which two suspects were arrested on Sept. 9 after they allegedly fired at deputies responding to reports of a burglary in West Bexar County.
“If they are willing to attack deputies in full uniform, think about what they will do to John Q. Citizen,” the sheriff said.
Salazar said deputies have stepped up their patrols in the neighborhood and other areas.
The suspects were also seen in security camera footage using credit cards at an area store. Anyone who knows them is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 210-2247867 (STOP). Callers may remain anonymous, the sheriff said.