DELAND, Fla. – More than a dozen cars were burglarized at homes in a DeLand subdivision over the weekend and police are once again reminding residents to lock their vehicles and not leave guns inside them.
Police said 15 residents at the Bent Oaks subdivision said their vehicles were broken into overnight. Stolen items included a firearm, a $2,000 computer and knives.
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According to officers, there was no sign of forced entry with any of the vehicles.
This is the second rash of car break-ins in DeLand this month. Ten vehicles were burglarized on the southeast side of the city earlier this month, and three weapons were stolen from those vehicles.
Police are concerned that weapons stolen from vehicles could be used to commit violent crimes.
According to an Everytown for Gun Safety analysis of FBI crime data, at least one gun is stolen from a car in the United States every 15 minutes, on average. In 2020, over half of the gun thefts were from cars, and cars parked at residences were the most common source of stolen guns.
Florida does not keep track of stolen guns.
DeLand police said the majority of the car burglaries are happening late at night. Officers added if you notice any suspicious behavior during late night hours, call 911 and report it to law enforcement immediately.
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