By Gabriel Rom
MASPETH—A rash of car break-ins in Central Queens continues unabated. Over the past week, at least four cars were broken into in Maspeth and two more in Elmhurst.
Two of the incidents in Maspeth occurred on 59th Street. In one car $60 was missing, but there was no other damage to the cars or any signs of forced entry, police said. The other two occurred on 57th Drive.
“The common thread here is property/money left inside the vehicle. Don’t leave anything inside your vehicle of value. It is just not worth it,” said Capt. Gregory Mackie of the 104th Precinct. “Make sure all the doors are locked. The easiest way inside your car for a thief is through an unlocked door, and they will try all the handles until they find one that is unlocked.”
Over the holiday weekend, police reported the first of a string of car break-ins in Middle Village and Ridgewood.
The front passenger door windows of four vehicles were found busted out on Centre Street near Cypress Avenue in Ridgewood in the early morning Dec. 28. One victim said his car was turned inside out and reported an assorted socket tool set and phone charger missing, although they were hidden in his vehicle.
Another victim said he left his vehicle parked on Centre Street the night before, and the next morning found his window broken.
Nothing was taken from the other vehicles, because the suspects must have found nothing and moved on, a detective from the 104th Precinct said.
Police who arrived at the scene said the vehicles were likely broken into between Sunday night, Dec. 27, and Monday morning. They said it was the second string of break-ins in the 104th Precinct over the holiday weekend.
About a half dozen cars were broken into in the same manner on 80th Street near Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village overnight between Dec. 26 and Dec. 27, the NYPD said at the scene.
Reach reporter Gabriel Rom by e-mail at grom@
