Vehicle Break- In at La Feria Aquatic Center

On Monday, June 6th, La Feria Police responded to a call from La Feria Aquatic Center, located at 800 South Main Street in La Feria at 2:41 p.m.

The call was in reference to a burglary of a vehicle.

Mr. Joshua Anderson and his family had arrived at the Aquatic Center at 1:30 pm and hadn’t been there too long when a concerned citizen advised him that the rear passenger sliding door window of their van had been broken.

Stolen from the vehicle was a black purse, wallets which contained credit cards, ID’s and cash as well as an iPhone and reading glasses.

A witness placed a young man in his mid-20’s riding a pink bicycle near the parking lot of the Aquatic center, but upon further questioning the witness did not see the individual break the window or peddle away with any of the missing items.

Vehicle break-ins are an internationally common crime, and the City of La Feria is not immune. Here are a few things that you can do to protect yourself from having your car broken into and your personal property stolen:

Leave any items home that might be attractive to thieves.

Put items attractive to thieves in your trunk before you arrive at your destination.

Putting the items in your trunk while at your parking spot can tip off a thief that you have good property to steal.

Never leave anything visible inside your vehicle! This is the single most important thing you can do to prevent your car window from being smashed and your valuables stolen. Thieves take things you might think are worthless, smashing your car windows in the process.

Take with you, leave at home or store in your trunk any of the following items:

GPS units (always wipe off the suction cup ring on your windshield – that ring is a dead give-away to a thief that a GPS device is inside your vehicle. GPS units are the most common items stolen during a car break-in.

Remove garage door openers while your vehicle is parked outside of the garage.

Handbags, purses, wallets, gym bags, and briefcases are the second most stolen items during a car break-in. Other items include:

• Cell Phones
• MP3 players
• Chargers (even if you hide your electronics, if the thief sees the charger, he’ll break into the car on the assumption that the GPS, cell phone, or MP3 player is hidden under your seat, in an interior compartment, or inside your trunk.
• Stereo faceplates, satellite radio receivers
• Radar detectors
• Loose change – to some your spare change is a fortune. A car thief will break your window to steal your 73 cents out of the vehicle cup holder or ash tray.
• CD’s, DVD’s
• Laptops and cases

Park in a well-lit location with large amounts of foot traffic. Avoid parking on an isolated side street.

Roll up your car windows all the way, and lock your doors. Engage your car alarm, but understand that car alarms do not deter thieves from breaking into your vehicle. The amount of time necessary for a thief to break into your vehicle and steal your property is less than 30 seconds, not enough time for them to be scared away by the alarm.

If you have any information about the break-in at the La Feria Aquatic Center last Monday, please contact the La Feria Police Department at (956) 797-3121.