Thief broke into dozens of vehicles in Central Bohemian region, damage reaches half a million crowns
A fifty-year-old man has been accused of a series of break-ins into parked vehicles in the Beroun, Mladá Boleslav and Kutná Hora districts. Total damage exceeded nearly 500,000 crowns.
Series of vehicle break-ins across region: fifty-year-old repeat offender accused
Beroun detectives have initiated criminal proceedings against a 50-year-old man suspected of repeated break-ins into parked vehicles in the territory of the Central Bohemian region, according to policie.gov.cz. Within less than two months, he caused damage to vehicles and stolen items amounting to nearly half a million crowns.
Officers documented several cases of break-ins into private and commercial vehicles. Investigation revealed that the perpetrator was not only active in the Beroun district, but also in the Mladá Boleslav and Kutná Hora districts.
Smashed window as universal key
The perpetrator selected crime scenes in various ways — from car parks at cemeteries to residential streets through to car parks in front of companies. He gained access to all vehicles in the same manner: he smashed a side window and took from the interior everything that caught his attention.
The objects of interest were mainly women's handbags, men's rucksacks and bags, wallets with documents, payment cards and cash, mobile phones, and in some cases professional construction tools.
In one instance, the perpetrator found the PIN code written directly on a stolen wallet next to a payment card. This enabled him to illegally withdraw 40,000 crowns from an automated teller machine.
Three criminal offences, faces up to two years' imprisonment
On the basis of collected evidence, detectives informed the man in abbreviated preliminary proceedings of suspicion of three criminal offences: damage to property of another, theft, and unauthorised acquisition, falsification and alteration of a means of payment. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to two years' imprisonment.
Police warning: a car is not a safe
In connection with the case, the Police of the Czech Republic appeals to drivers to never leave valuable items in a parked vehicle — not even when making a short trip to the cemetery, shop or post office. It also points out that even an apparently empty bag on a seat can attract a thief's attention.
Detectives further warn against storing a PIN code for a payment card — either directly on the card or together with it in a wallet. If discovering that a card has been stolen, they recommend immediately contacting the bank and blocking the card.
Source: Google News CZ — Crime (cs)