'Crooks' target Leander neighborhood for vehicle break-ins

LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) -- "Crooks" are checking cars to see if anyone has left a holiday gift for them. One Leander neighborhood has been a repeated target with victims who turned out to be luckier than most.

"Lock your car doors at night," Lt. Mike Mohler of Leander police said. "That would stop a high percentage of vehicle burglaries."

It seems simple enough, but often in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season people forget to protect what's in their driveway.

"Most of the burglaries we see nowadays, especially those caught on Ring doorbell cameras or home surveillance systems, crooks are just simply going through the neighborhood and checking car doors," Mohler added.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported most crime break-ins happen between 2 and 5 a.m. when people are asleep. However, many times, your personal insurance, or even renter's insurance, can help you get back any lost property that might have been taken from you.

The latest break-ins happened in the Gabriels Horn neighborhood, near Bar W, in north Leander. Police said "crooks" stole everything from tools, clothing and even ammunition. Most of them very easily.

"There are a rise and the burglars are out in the holiday season because they know people either have packages, gifts, or just even leaving things in their car overnight," Mohler said.

Video doorbells helped crack this particular case in Leander leading to two arrests. The technology has been a crime-fighting tool that can help officers respond almost immediately.

"It'll notify the homeowner that someone is on their property. Homeowners will see someone, they'll call us and we'll get a really good description," Mohler explained. "We'll then respond to the area."

Nearly everything was returned in these break-ins. But to make sure you don't have to worry about the loss, worry about the locks, police said.