Over €1,000 stolen from tourists’ car

GARDAI are once again advising motorists not to leave valuables in parked cars following a spate of thefts from vehicles last week.

A vehicle parked on Roundwood’s Main Street was broken into on Monday, June 4, and a large amount of cash was stolen. On Wednesday, June 6, the window of a car rented by visiting tourists was smashed at Lough Tay and three backpacks stolen, along with cash in excess of €1,000.

Property was taken from a car parked in Glenmalure on Saturday, June 9, after its windows were smashed. The following day, Sunday, June 10, documents, cash and bank cards were stolen from a vehicle in Arklow. The bank card was subsequently used at five different locations.

A computer was taken from a car parked in Clara Lara that same Sunday after a window was left open.

Gardaí suspect that a signal jammer was used to illegally gain entry into a car parked in Laragh village after cash and two mobile phones were stolen.

Gardaí are appealing for all vehicle owners to ensure they lock their vehicle no matter where it is parked and not to leave any valuables in the car. If they must, gardaí advise making sure those items are stored out of sight.

A garda spokesperson said: ‘People should make sure their vehicle is locked when parked and that all the windows are shut. No valuables should be left visible in the vehicle. This includes cash, computers, phones, jewellery and private documents.

‘Often members of the public are lured into a false sense of security because the location they are leaving their car parked at is quite remote. However, thieves are often out scoping these sort of locations for potential targets,’ said the spokesperson.