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Cincinnati police estimate about 100 cars hit in smash-and-grabs last few days

Investigators believe car break-ins part of coordinated efforts

Cincinnati police estimate about 100 cars hit in smash-and-grabs last few days

Investigators believe car break-ins part of coordinated efforts

NEED. >> IT DEFINITELY HAD TO HAVE BEEN COORDINATED. DAN: THERE’S A FEELING OF VIOLATION ANY OF US MIGHT SHARE WHEN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TURNS INTO A CRIME SCENE LIKE THIS. MELISSA JOHNSTON CAME OUTSIDE A FEW DAYS AGO TO FIND HER FORD WITH A SHATTERED WINDOW, AND HER NEIGHBORS ON WENTWORTH AVENUE ALSO VICTIMS OF THIEVES WORKING IN CLIFTON. >> SOME OF THESE KIDS ARE, YOU KNOW, UC STUDENTS AND THEY DON’T HAVE A LOT OF EXTRA CASH OR THEIR CAR IS UNDER LIABILITY, THEY HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. DAN: THERE ARE CARS WITH PLASTIC BAGS OVER THE DOOR AND YOU’LL FIND PLENTY OF GLASS. ALMA YAROS HAS LIVED IN CLIFTON NEARLY 30 YEARS. SHE’S BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE. >> NEVER LEAVE ANYTHING OF ANY IMPORTANCE IN YOUR CARS. PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING LEFT IN SOMEBODY’S CAR. DAN: CINCINNATI POLICE ESTIMATE ABOUT 100 CARS HAVE BEEN HIT IN 3 OR 4 DAYS. IT’S A DEFINITE SPIKE. THEY SEE A PATTERN BETWEEN THE SMASH AND GRABS, AS CROOKS HIT SEVERAL CARS AT ONCE. POLICE BELIEVE THIS IS A WELL-ORCHESTRATED GROUP TARGETING AT LEAST MOUNT AUBURN, WALNUT HILLS, CORRYVILLE AND CLIFTON. MELISSA SAYS SHE LEARNED FROM A PREVIOUS BREAK-IN TO LEAVE NOTHING IN HER CAR. THAT SAVED HER THIS TIME. >> CLIFTON REALLY IS A NICE PLACE TO LIVE, I PROMISE, IT IS. IT’S JUST, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THESE THINGS HAPPEN, YOU JUST TRY TO DO THE BEST YOU CAN DAN: ONE OF THE VICTIMS SAYS SOME OF THE CARS HIT WERE IN GATED OR LOCKED PARKING LOTS. POLICE SAY THIS IS ALSO HAPPENING IN PARKING GARAGES. THEY TELL ME THEY HAVE SOME PERSONS OF INT
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Cincinnati police estimate about 100 cars hit in smash-and-grabs last few days

Investigators believe car break-ins part of coordinated efforts

Has your car's window been shattered and interior ransacked by thieves?If not, consider yourself lucky.Cincinnati police estimate about 100 cars have been hit in the last three or four days and they believe it's a coordinated attack in several districts and even in parking garages.Damage can still be found in several neighborhoods.Plastic bags are seen over car doors and shattered glass is on the ground.People said it's just extra stress when no one needed it."They had to have been here for, you know, I don't know how long but it definitely had to have been coordinated," neighbor Melissa Johnston said.There's a feeling of violation any of us might share when our neighborhood turns into a crime scene like Johnston's.She came outside a few days ago to find her Ford with a shattered window.Her neighbors on Wentworth Avenue were also victims of thieves working in Clifton."Some of these kids are, you know, UC students and they don't have a lot of extra cash or their car is under liability, so they had to pay out of pocket," she said.There are cars with plastic bags over the door and you'll find plenty of glass along her street.Alma Yaros has lived in Clifton for nearly 30 years.She's been through this before."Never leave anything of any importance in your cars. People are looking for something left in somebody's car," Yaros said.Cincinnati police estimate about 100 cars have been hit so far.It's a definite spike, Lt. Steve Saunders told WLWT.Officers see a similar pattern between the smash and grabs as crooks hit several cars at once.Police believe this is a well-orchestrated group targeting at least Mount Auburn, Walnut Hills, Corryville and Clifton.Johnston said she learned from a previous break-in to leave nothing in her car.That saved her this time."Clifton really is a nice place to live, I promise, it is. It's just, you know, sometimes these things happen, you just try to do the best you can," Johnston said.One of the victims said some of the cars hit were in gated or locked parking lots.Police said they have some persons of interest.Cincinnati police said they already have extra patrols in neighborhoods and around the University of Cincinnati.They have also implemented big banners in parking lots to try to remind people to leave valuables out of sight and out of their cars.Police also ask victims or anyone with information or video of the suspects or break-ins to contact them immediately.Investigators said tips and video can be shared through the Cincinnati Police app.

Has your car's window been shattered and interior ransacked by thieves?

If not, consider yourself lucky.

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Cincinnati police estimate about 100 cars have been hit in the last three or four days and they believe it's a coordinated attack in several districts and even in parking garages.

Damage can still be found in several neighborhoods.

Plastic bags are seen over car doors and shattered glass is on the ground.

People said it's just extra stress when no one needed it.

"They had to have been here for, you know, I don't know how long but it definitely had to have been coordinated," neighbor Melissa Johnston said.

There's a feeling of violation any of us might share when our neighborhood turns into a crime scene like Johnston's.

She came outside a few days ago to find her Ford with a shattered window.

Her neighbors on Wentworth Avenue were also victims of thieves working in Clifton.

"Some of these kids are, you know, UC students and they don't have a lot of extra cash or their car is under liability, so they had to pay out of pocket," she said.

There are cars with plastic bags over the door and you'll find plenty of glass along her street.

Alma Yaros has lived in Clifton for nearly 30 years.

She's been through this before.

"Never leave anything of any importance in your cars. People are looking for something left in somebody's car," Yaros said.

Cincinnati police estimate about 100 cars have been hit so far.

It's a definite spike, Lt. Steve Saunders told WLWT.

Officers see a similar pattern between the smash and grabs as crooks hit several cars at once.

Police believe this is a well-orchestrated group targeting at least Mount Auburn, Walnut Hills, Corryville and Clifton.

Johnston said she learned from a previous break-in to leave nothing in her car.

That saved her this time.

"Clifton really is a nice place to live, I promise, it is. It's just, you know, sometimes these things happen, you just try to do the best you can," Johnston said.

One of the victims said some of the cars hit were in gated or locked parking lots.

Police said they have some persons of interest.

Cincinnati police said they already have extra patrols in neighborhoods and around the University of Cincinnati.

They have also implemented big banners in parking lots to try to remind people to leave valuables out of sight and out of their cars.

Police also ask victims or anyone with information or video of the suspects or break-ins to contact them immediately.

Investigators said tips and video can be shared through the Cincinnati Police app.