Rash of car break-ins in Centerville

CENTERVILLE, Ohio (WDTN) - Centerville police are investigating more than half a dozen reports of theft and broken car windows. All are believed to be the work of a thief who went on an overnight crime spree in two neighborhoods.

"We came outside and there was a cop waiting for me and he asked me if I drove a blue Subaru," said Elliott Heigel.

Centerville Police responded to several reports of car break-ins in an apartment complex off Alex Bell Road.

Others were reported in the Clyo Road area.

Heigel says he thinks the thief was scared off and didn't take anything from his car.

Not everyone was so lucky. "My camera's roughly $500 and my GPS was about $100 and I'm lost without GPS, very stranded," said Ryan Couch.

The thief took off with the stereo and an iPod from this SUV, leaving behind a mess for the owner to clean up.

"They'll go car to car looking for unlocked vehicles, they'll go through the unlocked car for what they want or what they can find they usually leave the locked cars alone unless they see something that they want," said Officer John Davis, Centerville Police Department.

Police are investigating, but in the meantime, a blanket will cover the broken glass and Heigel says from now on, he'll be more careful about what he leaves in his car.

"I hope they get caught doing it and don't get to do it to other people. It feels weird, you don't want the feeling of someone else in your car at all."

Centerville Police are calling the thefts crimes of opportunity and say if you take the opportunity away, the thief responsible will likely move on to somewhere else.

If you have any information that could help the investigation, call Crime Stoppers at 222-7867.