By Gabriel Rom
As the spate of car break-ins in Central Queens continued, police said they have a suspect of interest and will be making arrests in the “near future,” according to 104th Precinct Capt. Mark Wachter.
The thefts, which began in late December, have mostly occurred in Ridgewood, although Elmhurst and Maspeth have been struck, too. As Feb. 3, there had been at least 25 thefts from cars, according to the COMET civic group. Some of the vehicles had their windows broken, while some car owners may have left their vehicle doors unlocked.
The 104th Precinct is increasing marked and unmarked patrols in areas where prior thefts have occurred, Wachter added.
The crime pattern began around Dec. 28., when the front passenger door windows of four vehicles were found busted out on Centre Street near Cypress Avenue in Ridgewood in the early morning One victim said his car was turned inside out and reported an assorted socket tool set and phone charger missing even though they were hidden in his vehicle.
“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.”
Reach reporter Gabriel Rom by e-mail at grom@
