Gun stolen in rash of Fruit Cove car break-ins

Aberdeen neighbors on high-alert after several vehicles burglaries in 48 hours

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – There's a neighborhood crime alert in St. Johns County, where there was a rash of car break-ins in the Fruit Cove area within 48 hours. 

Several people who live in the Aberdeen neighborhood woke up this week to find that their cars had been broken into overnight. In one case, a gun was stolen. 

One neighbor's home surveillance system captured a person wearing a backpack walk up to a car, pull on the handle and try to get in.

Luckily, the homeowner's car was locked and the person was not able to get in.

But the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office received several other reports of car break-ins and thefts since Tuesday. 

According to incident reports, the thieves stole Bluetooth devices, medication, money and a gun. All of the vehicles hit were left unlocked. 

Neighbors, including Sam Callahan, told News4Jax on Thursday that they're now on high-alert. Callahan said he was shocked when he noticed that someone had gotten into his truck in the quiet neighborhood. 

"I usually leave all my vehicles unlocked. And when I came out and saw that my backpack had been opened and it looked like it had been gone through because literally every zipper on it was open," he said.

Fortunately, Callahan said, nothing was stolen. 

"More often than not, there would be something I would casually leave in there and not even think about because it's a relatively good neighborhood that we live in here and we don't really suspect this sort of thing happened," Callahan said.

From now on, he said, he's keeping an extra eye out for crooks.

"The doors will be locked and, maybe, we'll hang out tonight and see if anybody comes by," Callahan said.

St. Johns County detectives said they have not yet made in any arrests in the string of vehicle burglaries. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 904-824-8304.

News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said it's important for people to lock their car doors each night. 

Local law enforcement agencies have also been trying to get people into the habit of checking to make sure their cars are locked at 9 o'clock each night by using #9PMRoutine on social media. 

Residents should also be aware of people who they do not recognize in their neighborhoods. One woman told deputies who were investigating the Fruit Cove car break-ins that she had seen a suspicious person soliciting the neighborhood just a few days earlier. 


About the Author:

Corley Peel is a Texas native and Texas Tech graduate who covered big stories in Joplin, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Jacksonville, Florida before returning to the Lone Star State. When not reporting, Corley enjoys hot yoga, Tech Football, and finding the best tacos in town.