Auto thefts, vandalism hit Columbia
Police advise residents to always lock car doors.
Published Aug. 28, 2009
Nearly three weeks ago marked the latest crime in a long series of car vandalisms that occurred at several local car dealerships and various parking lots.
Two of the dealerships hit by vandals were Perry Nissan, located on Nebraska Avenue, and Head Motor Company, located on Business Loop 70 W.
Co-owner of Head Motor Company Steve Head said his dealership and surrounding businesses were hit in a similar manner and at the same time.
"They only targeted customers' cars with Missouri license plates," Head said. "They broke windows out of the cars. Some of the cars had personal belongings, like GPS systems and CD players, but they didn't take those.
Head also said he didn't know if the vandals were looking for something to tear up or were looking for money.
The vandals struck three or four times in about a two-month period, Head said. Each time, they damaged a couple of the customers' cars, but never touched the new vehicles. Head also said when police investigated, they were able to pick up DNA evidence from blood left when the vandals were cut while breaking the windows.
Perry Nissan General Manager Marty Shoemaker said the attacks on cars in the Nissan lot were recorded on their surveillance cameras, but the vandals could not be identified. The Columbia Police Department set up a bait car and were able to catch the vandal.
Head said vandalism hasn't been a problem in the past.
"We hadn't had problems with vandalism," Head said. "At first I thought it might have just been kids being destructive, but we ended up finding out it wasn't."
As a whole, Columbia doesn't have a lot of problems with car theft or car vandalism crimes, CPD Detective Jeff Westbrook said.
"We've not seen a big increase," Westbrook said. "Maybe some of an increase but it's not unusual to see spikes at certain times in the year."
According to crimereports.com, there were 109 cases where items were stolen from cars between July 1 and July 27 in Columbia. From Aug. 1 to Aug. 27, 96 cases of theft from cars occurred. Westbrook said car parts, such as wheels and stereos, are stolen from car lots, while belongings that are easily accessed are often stolen from personal cars.
"They're looking for something quick," Westbrook said. "They want to bust in and grab it and go."
In another account posted by crimereports.com, in Columbia, 10 auto thefts occurred between July 1 and July 27, while 17 occurred between Aug. 1 and Aug. 27.
Westbrook said a car theft could simply mean someone allowed someone else to borrow his or her car, and the borrower didn't return it.
MU Police Department Capt. Brian Weimer said crimes involving cars are rare on campus.
"Fortunately, we have not been targeted of late," Weimer said. "That's not a crime we see many reports of."
Weimer and Westbrook both said the best way to lessen the risk of having a vehicle stolen or broken into is to lock the doors.
"Lock it," Weimer said. "If you're going to be somewhere late at night, park it in a well lit area and where people can see."