JEFFERSON, Iowa — Jefferson was struck by a wave of vehicle burglaries Saturday night, with 18 residents reporting overnight thefts that they discovered on Sunday. The crimes are part of a recent rash of thefts throughout central Iowa.
“We have some surveillance video that we have to work with,” said Jefferson Police Department Chief Mark Clouse. “It’s not going to be much help because they were masked, wearing gloves and in dark clothing, but it is the same group of individuals who just went through Boone and Ogden last week.”
Clouse said the gang of four — two males and two females — stole small items from inside unlocked vehicles, “anything loose in the car — cell phones, laptop computers, ear pods, MP3 players, any little loose electronic thing like that — or cash or weapons, that type of stuff, just something they can grab and walk down the street with.”
The burglars struck in all neighborhoods in Jefferson, Clouse said, with many of the thefts occurring on Rushview Drive, W. Edgewood Avenue, S. Locust Street, Southfield Drive. Police received no reports Saturday night or early Sunday morning about prowlers or other suspicious persons.
“They know what they’re doing, unfortunately,” the police chief said. “They’re not breaking into vehicles. They’re not entering garages. They’re just doing those vehicles in driveways and streets that are unlocked.”
Clouse said his department is sharing information about the crimes with other agencies as part of the ongoing investigation in Boone, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie, Jasper, Madison, Polk and Story counties. Similar thefts were reported in recent nights in Stuart, Panora and Guthrie Center. Adel was victimized in June and July by 44 car burglaries.
“Lock your vehicle,” Clouse advised all Jefferson motorists. “They are not breaking into vehicles. So if your vehicle is locked, they pull the handle and they move on. The best thing I can tell folks is to lock their vehicles up.”
