Video shows burglar breaking into unlocked cars in gated community

Security gates at the upscale Mystique Estates development in Davie didn’t seem to deter a car burglar seen on surveillance video breaking into at least five vehicles and trying to get into another 10.

Resident Jeff Bernstein, who recorded some of the car burglary attempts on his home security system, said it happened between 2:30 and 4 a.m. on Monday.

“Most of the residents have security cameras and he was [seen] walking through the entire neighborhood so he was dubbed The Walking Burglar,” Bernstein said.

The videos show a man wearing a camouflage jacket, baseball cap and black shoes trying handles on several vehicles, apparently looking for unlocked doors. All the locked cars were bypassed, police said.

Bernstein said his son’s car was among those that were broken into because it was unlocked.

“He said he was [carrying] a case of water and tried to lock the door with his elbow, but he missed,” Bernstein said. “The truth is it’s so important, obviously, for people to lock their doors.”

Police have been warning the public about the importance of locking car doors. There have been numerous ad campaigns, tweets, Facebook posts and videos in an attempt to educate the public. But it still seems that some people aren’t heeding the advice, said Davie Police Sgt. Mark Leone.

Bernstein is a retired Miami Beach police officer who is now a psychologist who trains police. He’s also a past World Series of Blackjack champion who is putting up some stakes to help capture burglar.

He said he will add up to $5,000 to the standard $3,000 Crime Stoppers reward if an arrest is made within a matter of days.

“We just want to catch the bad guy and keep the community safe,” he said.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about these car break-ins to contact Broward Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at 954-493-8477 or browardcrimestoppers .org.