Thefts from vehicles add up north of Valparaiso
By Erin Guerra Post-Tribune correspondent October 1, 2012 4:00PM
Updated: November 3, 2012 6:12AM
VALPARAISO — At least 18 unlocked vehicles were entered late Saturday night or early Sunday in the Flint Lake and Burlington Beach neighborhoods, just north of Valparaiso.
Police reports indicated more than $5,500 worth of property was stolen, mostly cell phone chargers, compact discs, global positioning units and stereos.
A number of the vehicles also were damaged as the culprit or culprits pried stereos out of dashboards, poured gasoline on the seat of one vehicle and left behind a cigarette that burned the seat of another vehicle.
In one instance, a neighbor in the 4000 block of Cardinal Lane heard car alarms sounding and saw the dome light was on in a vehicle at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, but that vehicle’s owner did not report the theft until discovering it much later in the morning.
Two vehicles were entered in each of five blocks: 1400 block of Robin Road, 3900 block of Cardinal Lane, 4000 block of Cardinal Lane, the 4000 block of Sumac Road and the 4100 block of John Street.
One vehicle was entered in eight other blocks: the 1400 block of Oriole Road, the 1500 block of Whippoorwill Road, the 1700 block of Hill Road, the 4100 block of Sumac Road, the 4100 block of Cardinal Lane, the 4300 block of Flint Lake Gateway, the 4400 block of Masters Road and the 4500 block of Ostedt Drive.
Meanwhile in South Haven, at about 4 a.m. Saturday in the 300 block of Millport Road, a resident confronted a man he found inside attempting to remove stereo components from a relative’s vehicle.
According to the police report, the suspect was described as in his early 20s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall with a slim to medium build, with blondish red hair and wearing blue jeans and a white hooded sweatshirt. He ran from the scene.
