Car Stolen, Bicycle Taken, and a Car Entered on the East Side Overnight

Nearby resident’s private security camera captured 3 persons trying car door handles at 3:30 a.m.
 
Shortly before 7:00 a.m. today (Tuesday, December 04, 2018), a resident in the 6100 block of Western Avenue noticed that the side door into her detached garage was open; it had been closed the night before, but left unlocked.  The resident investigated and discovered that a bicycle had been stolen from inside the garage and that both of the resident’s cars—one inside the garage and the other in the driveway—had been entered and rifled through, but nothing had been taken from either car.
 
Village officers Timmerman and Chung responded to investigate.   While Officer Timmerman interviewed the homeowner, Officer Chung went house-to-house to interview nearby neighbors.  When Officer Chung spoke to the resident right next door to the original victim, the resident instantly noticed that one of her cars—a blue Chrysler minivan—had been stolen from her driveway overnight.  Two houses further up the street, Officer Chung spotted another car that appeared to have been tampered with.  Officer Chung spoke with the homeowner who confirmed that someone had rifled through their car, but nothing was missing from it. 
 
Later this morning, a resident from Nevada Avenue discovered that his home security video system had captured three suspicious persons walking in the street and pulling on car door handles at about 3:30 a.m.  A still image of the trio is below.
 
Police in DC and nearby Montgomery County have experienced several similar theft events recently; most have occurred overnight, but several incidents targeting construction vehicles occurred during the daytime in November.  Village Police are in regular contact with those agencies in an effort to coordinate and to identify suspects. 
 
Residents are urged to lock their homes and their cars at all times, to leave exterior lights on throughout the night, and to call police immediately if they see or hear anything that arouses their suspicion.