By Jonathan Zweygardt
Hays Post
HAYS – A number of incidents that occurred over the weekend have the Hays Police Department urging people to keep their garage doors closed and to never leave valuables inside vehicles.
According to the Hays PD, they received four reports of someone entering into an attached garage and taking valuables from inside from July 14 to 17. In two separate incidents, the burglaries led to vehicles being stolen.
Lt. Brandon Wright said in many of the cases – which were reported to have happened in the overnight hours – the garage doors were left open or unlocked.
The first incident occurred in the 3300 block of Willow St. on July 15. According to Wright, a purse was stolen from inside an unlocked vehicle inside the garage.
On July 16 a Ford pickup was stolen from the 1700 block of Wheatland Avenue after someone entered an unlocked garage and took a key from a purse inside the garage and took the pickup that was outside the garage.
The stolen vehicle was reported as a silver 2011 Ford F150 crew cab. The license plate on the pickup is Kansas 653 DKK.
A second vehicle was stolen from a garage in the 3300 block of Hillcrest on July 17. The vehicle was reported as a charcoal 2013 Toyota Camry with the license plate Kansas 638 FWC.
Another burglary was reported on July 17 in the 200 block of West 37th St. A purse was stolen from an unlocked vehicle inside an open garage.
“Make sure that you are securing your garage,” Wright said. He added at this time they do not know if these incidents are connected but the cases all have the same MO – modus operandi – as they all fit a pattern.
“It’s probably understandable, you know you pull your car into your garage it is a more safe environment but people are exploiting that right now,” he said.
He also noted it is important to have the same level of security on the door between your home and your garage as you do on the front door of your house.
“That’s the last line of defense into your home,” Wright said.
Anyone with information about the incidents is encouraged to contact the Hays Police Department.