The rash of vehicle thefts in New Buffalo appears to have spread to other Michiana communities.
The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public’s help finding the suspects who are responsible for vehicle thefts in many areas of LaPorte County, including Grand Beach, Michiana Shores, and Wills, Kankakee, and Galena Townships. There’s also been reports of thefts in the Koontz Lake area of Starke County.
Officers in LaPorte County say there’s about 50 open cases of thefts and there could be at least 50 more when combined with other area departments. The thieves are mostly targeting unlocked vehicles and items left in plain sight between 9:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.
“The biggest deterrent to a thief is to lock your doors and not leave valuable items in a vehicle, we can’t stress that enough” stated La Porte County Sheriff John Boyd. “We also encourage following the “if you see something, say something” practice of being good neighbors. If you spot a suspicious vehicle in your neighborhood, if a normally quite dog suddenly starts barking, it is worth a call to your local law enforcement agency. While our detectives have developed suspects and are following leads, we also realize that a call reporting suspicious activity can often be what tips the odds in our favor.”
Anyone that has information that will help bring an end to this rash of thefts is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 219.326.7700. If you have information regarding this or any other crime you can also call Michiana Crime Stoppers at 800.342.STOP (7867). Crimes Stoppers will pay a reward for the arrest and conviction of a criminal.
