Two recent entering auto incidents in Fayetteville included items stolen from work trucks at the owners’ residences. In one of those cases, the thief appeared to have been injured during the theft.
Fayetteville officers on July 29 at approximately 5:33 a.m. were dispatched to the area of Hillsdale Drive off North Jeff Davis Drive regarding an entering auto call.
Fayetteville Police Department spokesperson Ann Marie Burdett said officers met with the complainant, who said they parked their work pickup truck in the driveway overnight. The following morning, the complainant said they went out to the truck and discovered the storage compartments located on the bed of the truck were pried open, and items were taken.
“The complainant told police they observed blood drippings on the edge of one of the compartments and a cigarette butt on the ground. The complainant informed police that they and no one at their residence was a smoker,” said Burdett.
The complainant provided police with a list of the items taken from the vehicle, which included several tools, a cooler chest and a company fuel card, Burdett said.
The officer contacted the on-call detective and crime scene investigator to come to the scene.
This is an open and active investigation, said Burdett.
A second entering auto report in Fayetteville was received by phone on July 30 at approximately 7:24 p.m.
Burdett said the complainant informed police they parked their work truck outside of their residence overnight. The following morning, the complainant said they went out to the truck and discovered a missing red toolbox from one of the storage compartments on the truck’s bed. The complainant told police the compartment with the toolbox in it had a broken lock.
The complainant said they asked their neighbors if they had any video footage of the incident, and told officers that, if available, they would gather the video footage and provide it to police, Burdett noted.
The case has been turned over to the Fayetteville Criminal Investigations Division for further investigations.
A third entering auto in Fayetteville was reported by phone on July 29 at approximately 7:27 p.m.
Burdett said the complainant informed police they were a patient at Piedmont Fayette Hospital from July 23-29, and had parked their vehicle in the east parking lot. The complainant said they left their Jitter Bug smartphone on the car seat and did not lock their car doors.
The complainant told police they would be transferred to another medical facility and asked medical staff to take them to their car to retrieve items from their vehicle. The complainant discovered their cell phone was missing and the vehicle was not damaged, said Burdett.
Police asked the complainant once they arrived at the new medical facility to provide them with the cell phone’s serial number to be placed on the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) system as stolen, Burdett added.
All motorists should remember the ongoing advice of law enforcement officers throughout Fayette County. That advice states that motorists should always lock a vehicle at home and in the community, and never leave valuables in plain sight.
