String of Tracy car break-ins after bank visits may have Bay Area link
TRACY — A string of car break-ins following visits to the bank in Tracy is believed to be a coordinated effort with roots in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Bank bandits are causing car break-ins but not in the way you might expect.
"In May of this year, we've had 11 incidents in the west part of town near banks," Tracy Police Sergeant Mike Richards said.
Sgt. Richards said the department found something peculiar this summer.
"I believe after the second or third one, we started to believe it was a trend among an organized group of people," he said.
It's a trend of coordinated car break-ins that started at a cluster of banks in west Tracy.
Police believe a crew would stake out the banks, watching who would leave with cash to follow that individual to their next location and then commit the caper there.
"The purpose of our social media post was to take away the opportunity to commit these crimes," Sgt. Richards said.
Sgt. Richards said with the city's proximity to freeways, thieves can quickly exit in town to commit the crimes and then head back to "what we believe is their base of operations in the Bay Area."
With the holiday season coming up, police issued the warning on social media warning residents to be careful.
"We want people to be vigilant," Sgt. Richards said. "Don't give these people the opportunity to do the crime and make you a victim."
The Tracy Police Department says they are working with other law enforcement agencies and haven't yet identified any suspects.
