Someone broke in – and grabbed loose change.
The Victim: Ronald Williams
The Crime: Burglary of a motor vehicle
Date: Friday, Nov. 25
Time: Between 6:30 p.m. and 10 a.m.
Location: 7300 block of Bennington
Was it the work of a homeless teenager? University Terrace resident Ronald Williams thinks so. The coins had been in the console of his car, which was parked as usual in his driveway. Someone had ransacked through the glove box and grabbed the change, but amazingly left behind a radar detector and a pair of binoculars.
The crime left Williams a bit baffled. After reporting the crime to his homeowners’ association, he learned of other strange crimes in the neighborhood. One woman had reported a bag of clothes stolen from her garage with much more valuable items left behind.
“They’re not professional thieves,” Williams says. “I think they’re breaking in and taking anything they can to survive. I think it’s pretty sad, honestly. A lot of the break-ins don’t make sense.”
Williams says there is an old railroad track nearby, an area a bit wild and overgrown where some homeless people may gather under a bridge. He suspects some of them may be stealing out of necessity.
Dallas Police Sgt. Keitric Jones of the Northeast Patrol Division says it’s important never to leave any money in plain view in a car — even if it’s pocket change. The coins may make the vehicle a target of a thief looking for quick cash. Jones says it is indeed possible that nearby homeless people are stealing things for immediate use.
“Homeless people need quick cash, and we have had other cases involving the homeless breaking into cars,” Jones says.
| crime numbers |
14
Number of incidents that occurred around Buckner and Ferguson during a one-month period, including 10 car burglaries, 4 thefts and 1 assault
7
Number of car burglaries that occurred along Birchbrook Drive off Lovers and Skillman
3
Number of assaults that occurred near Old East Dallas Park at Columbia and Munger
Source:Dallas Police Department crime statistics for July 10-Aug. 10
