Wave of car burglaries strikes area

By jennifer dome
Staff Writer

By jennifer dome
Staff Writer

MONROE — Some 27 vehicles were burglarized in front of 18 residences in a township neighborhood last Thursday night, police reported this week.

The burglaries occurred late Thursday night and early the next morning in the Heritage Chase development, police said. The majority of the vehicles that were burglarized had been left unlocked by their owners, although a few of them were forced open during the burglaries.

Items taken from the 27 vehicles included radar detectors, car compact disc players and stereos, personal papers, money and cassette tapes and compact discs, police Sgt. Lawrence J. Linke of the detective bureau said.

The burglaries took place on four streets in the development — Talmadge Way, Regent Drive, Drummond Way and Evans Way.

According to Linke, the township’s police department has never seen such a significant instance of crime in Heritage Chase.

"We’re never in there. It’s a nice area," Linke said.

The development is located in a fairly rural area of the township, he said. He can remember only two other times when such a high number of vehicles were burglarized at once, he said.

One instance was about eight years ago, the other about four years ago, and the suspects were apprehended in each case, the detective sergeant said.

Linke said yesterday there were no known suspects, and he was also unable to comment on whether there was more than one person involved in the burglaries. However, he said police did recover fingerprints from the scene of each crime that will help them pursue the offenders.

Monroe Police Detective Richard Stemming is handling the investigation.