Crime alert: Series of car burglaries in Arlington investigated by Jacksonville police

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is investigating a string of car burglaries reported over the holiday weekend in the Arlington neighborhood.

Ryan Bruhn just moved into his home on Burdette Road with his fiancée and toddler. He said he got home from work around 1:30 a.m. Saturday and woke up to find his car ransacked.

“Was going to my car to go get breakfast in the morning and saw that something had rummaged through my car,” Bruhn said.

He was shocked to find that his valuables were left behind.

“I had a $700 Xbox sitting right here in my kid’s baby seat, and they didn’t even touch it,” Bruhn said.

A handful of people along the street noted that overnight their cars were also opened and looked through. Most said they did not have anything significant stolen.

Shane Lomen said his home and cars have been burglarized in the past. This time he was spared.

“That surprises me because it’s been pretty quiet here,” he said. “I’m sorry to hear it’s happening again.”

It’s unclear what the person or people responsible were after.

Bruhn was thankful that someone did not try breaking into his home.

Just a short drive away from the street, police said close to a dozen cars were broken into at the St. Johns Forest Apartments on Dec. 20. The incident report says most of those cars had their windows broken out, causing thousands of dollars in damage.

Police said a car was stolen and eventually recovered.


About the Author:

Renee Beninate is a Florida native and award-winning reporter who joined the News4Jax team in June 2021.