By otakuyassine3@gmail.com 
INDIAN TRAIL, N.C. (WBTV) – At least 20 homeowners in the Cornerstone neighborhood in Indian Trail woke up over the weekend to find their cars had been broken into and valuables had been stolen.
That brings the total to about 50 cars in the past month alone that have been ‘broken into’ in a similar way.
The Union County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the possibility that these crimes are connected with more than 25 cars that were broken into in the Brandon Oaks neighborhood last month.
RELATED: Thieves steal valuables, guns from 25 cars in Union County subdivision crime spree
“We’ve had two major break-in sprees in our area,” said Lt. James Maye of the Union County Sheriff’s Office. “Just out of those two, we’re over 50 cars that were unlocked, that were broken into.”
As Lt. Maye said, all 50 cars were unlocked when thieves got into them. He said there is no evidence that these cars were hacked into or had spoofing tools used to unlock them.
Instead, Lt. Maye said their investigators believe the suspects are likely targeting areas with unlocked vehicles, as security footage from previous incidents shows individuals checking door handles before entering cars.
“They’ll pull on that driver’s side door handle,” Lt. Maye explained. “If it’s unlocked, they begin to rummage through that car still property. If it’s locked, they simply go to the next driveway.”
While authorities are investigating potential suspects, they are urging residents to take preventative measures to protect their property.
“Help us keep our community safer by locking these cars every night,” Lt. Maye emphasized. “If you’re going to leave your car for more than just a minute or two at a time, make sure it’s locked and don’t leave your keys inside.”
Anyone with information or surveillance footage related to these car thefts is encouraged to contact the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
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