Westchester County car break-ins on the rise; DA says lock your doors

WESTCHESTER COUNTY (WABC) -- A significant rise in car break-ins has prompted Westchester County officials to remind residents to keep their cars locked.

District Attorney Anthony Scarpino Jr. said on Thursday that the thefts, a county-wide issue, can easily be stopped if car owners lock their doors.

He said they are crimes of opportunity, and suspects typically go through neighborhoods and driveways checking for unlocked doors. When they find one, he said, they'll take whatever they can get.

"These folks, they're not going to even break the window if you lock the car," he said. "This whole group, they're looking for unlocked vehicles. So you would prevent them from doing it, so it is frustrating."

He believes that teens are behind the thefts.

Officials do not believe the thieves are targeting vehicles to steal them, but in some cases, if the fob is inside, the thieves will drive the car to another location and abandon it.