A string of vandals smashing windows on car after car continued Thursday in the Linden Hills neighborhood of southwest Minneapolis.

One long-time resident says this isn't the first time.

"The same car was broken into about three months ago, same spot," Marta Nelson said. "He took it in to be fixed, got a rental car, brought the rental car home and the rental car was stolen. Same place."

Nelson says nothing was taken, but says it's irritating having to get your car fixed all the time.

Minneapolis police say they're trying to figure out if similar incidents in other areas are connected and are working with other cities that have experienced similar problems.

Just three weeks ago, 70 vehicle windows were smashed in Minneapolis and 40 parked cars were targeted in Bloomington. Victims of the vandalism said the thieves avoided taking cash in their vehicles, instead taking IDs, insurance cards and mail. 

The department says it has received about 350 reports of broken vehicle windows since July 15. Of those, nearly 300 reports occurred in groups, meaning multiple vehicles were damaged on the same block at the same time. A majority of the incidents happened in the city's Second Precinct.

In response to the uptick, 911 dispatchers will now directly alert police supervisors when a vandalism spree is reported.

Currently, no arrests have been made in connection with the window-smashing sprees.

Minneapolis police are also watching something else: a rise in gun thefts. 

Sixty-four percent of stolen guns this year came from cars — a major jump from a few years ago. In 2019, 35% of stolen guns had been taken from vehicles.

WCCO asked the Minneapolis Police Department if any guns were stolen during the recent rash of break-ins, but has yet to receive an answer.

Police say if your vehicle was damaged or broken into recently to report it immediately by either calling 911 or 311. Reports can also be made in person at your nearest precinct or online.

To prevent vehicle damage and break-ins, police say to report suspicious activity near vehicles to 911 immediately and to provide a description of individuals, including any license plates of any vehicles involved, and the direction of travel of those involved.

People are encouraged to park in well-lit and busy areas, to always take their keys with them and to hide or take valuables with them, such as phones, bags or electronics.