JONESBORO, Ark. – Vehicle break-ins with guns being stolen are happening in large numbers across the City of Jonesboro, with at least three separate incidents reported Monday alone.
When a homeowner walked out to his unlocked truck around 5:40 a.m. early Monday morning on the 3700-block of Pioneer Circle, he could not find a key item he had left the previous night: his Smith and Wesson MP Shield 9mm handgun.
He heard no sounds and saw nothing he could report about who may have taken the item, he described to a Jonesboro police officer.
The culprit could face multiple felonies from the crime when apprehended.
Reports like this are coming in from across Jonesboro almost daily.
Monday morning, a homeowner at the 800-block of Rolling Drive in Jonesboro made a report to officers stating his Ruger LCP .380 handgun was stolen from a 2011 Mercedes-Benz E500. No signs of forced entry was present and it was believed the man left the vehicle unlocked the night before.
Between Saturday night and Sunday morning at the 1300-block of Layman Drive in Jonesboro, a 2015 Ford F-150 was broken into and a black Kimber Solo Carry 9mm pistol taken, along with other items. It was reported by the resident Monday afternoon to JPD.
Two other vehicle break-ins were reported Monday morning, one on Glenwood Drive in Jonesboro, this time with no weapons in the vehicle, and then at the 5100-block of East Parker Road in Jonesboro, with a radio and two knives being reported stolen there.
JPD Sgt. Cassie Brandon said there are a few simple steps people can follow to reduce their risk of being a victim.
“Obviously, if you’re going to leave your car unattended in a driveway or a parking lot, the number one thing is to lock it,” Brandon said. “If you’ve got valuables in there, keep them out of sight.”
Thieves are not usually motivated people, she said, as one might assume based on the will to take from others. This can be used to help avoid being a victim, Brandon said.
“They’re looking for the easy way out,” she said. “Generally, what they’ll do is go from car to car pulling on door handles and seeing which one is unlocked. When they find it, they go through that car and take what is valuable. If you have anything valuable in your car, leave it out of sight from the windows or preferably take it in. Keep your car doors locked.”
The JPD community outreach and recruiting officer, Brandon, also encouraged the public to be attentive and report any suspicious activity – even when not sure.
“We’d rather get a call and it be nothing than not get a call on something maybe we could have stopped from happening,” Brandon said.
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