Car break-ins target registration documents

August 24, 2012

Car registration documents seem to be the primary target in a string of car break-ins over the past few months, according to Mammoth Lakes police officers.

Stolen car registrations (along with some low-value items like cell phone chargers and lipstick) concern Mammoth Lakes Police Detective Dan Casabian.

“Your address is on the registration,” he said. “I’m wondering if they might be using this to target other burglaries.”

He said what bothers him most is that all the cars were unlocked.

“I hear it all the time, ‘This is Mammoth Lakes and nothing happens in Mammoth,’” he said.

“Nothing could be further from the truth.”

He said the burglaries did not seem to be confined to any one area.

“One was near Snowcreek, one near Azimuth and Chateau and one near Hillside and the Village,” he said.

Officers chased down a man during one of the burglaries and currently have him in custody, but it is not known at this time if the man is responsible for all of the break-ins, or if there is more than one thief operating at this time.

“Take precautions, lock your car, lock your house,” he said. “Just because this is Mammoth, doesn’t mean you won’t be the victim of a crime.”