A slew of vehicle break-ins were reported in various areas of Los Osos resulting in a reported $50,000 in stolen items.
In one day, six burglaries or thefts were reported involving work tools taken from trucks with utility boxes. All are believed to have happened between the night of Aug. 5 and the early morning of Aug. 6
“The difference between the burglary designation, and the theft designation is that the burglaries involved locked vehicles,” said Comdr. Stuart MacDonald with the Sheriff’s Office Substation in Los Osos. “Four of them had their utility boxes locked, and two of them had utility boxes that were not locked. But, they all had tools.”
The crimes occurred on the 600 block of Los Osos Valley Road, the 1900 and 2000 blocks of 9th Street, the 1200 and 1600 blocks of 12th Street,and the 1400 block of 17th Street,
MacDonald said investigators would follow-up with neighbors for potential video of the incidents to identify a vehicle or persons associated with the crimes.
Once thieves are set on breaking into locked utility boxes, not a lot can be done, but the Sheriff’s office has a few ideas to help prevent these types of incidents or help in locating the criminals.
“Our basic recommendation is to take anything of value out of vehicles, but understanding that that’s not practical for tradespeople who can’t take all of their tools inside,” MacDonald said. “We always recommend surveillance camera systems and then parking in the driveway area.”
This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call 805-528-6083.
