CACHE, Okla_There is a
break in the case involving a string of car burglaries in the last couple of
months in the Pecan
Valley neighborhoods. Comanche
County Sheriff Kenny Stradley said they have arrested 5 juveniles in connection
with the crime, all admitted to the car burglaries.
Authorities say
the teens range from 16 to 17 years of age and are from the Indiahoma and Cache
area.
Sheriff Stradley
said two of the teens tried breaking into a man's car on the west side of Lawton. The man chased
them in his car to Cache where they were eventually arrested. The two teens
admitted what they had done and their confession led to the arrest of three
more teens also involved in the burglaries. It also helped authorities solve a
convenience store break in, in Indiahoma a few weeks ago.
When word of
cars being burglarized started circling in the neighborhoods of Pecan Valley,
one resident said she and her family took precautions.
"We made
sure that the cars were inside and we were told to make sure that our garage
door openers were with us at all times," Kim Nelson said.
They were
trying to keep their valuables away from five teens on a crime spree.
"We
weren't surprised that it was teens, just because of the hours that we were
told about it."
Nelson said she
was told most of the car burglaries were happening between in the early morning
or just before sunset.
Sheriff Stradley
said the teens were searching the neighborhood for unlocked cars once they
found one, they considered it fair game.
"Anything
of value in there. It could be change, I believe we also lost a gun out of one
of them, just different kinds of equipment."
Sheriff Stradley
said the group helped them solve the break in at the Superette in Indiahoma a
few weeks ago.
"Two out
of the five did this. They were just trying to get some beer."
Young or not,
he said teenagers need to be aware that their actions can have adult
consequences.
"It's just
a situation where a lot of kids think they can do this and do this and have a
good time, but somewhere down it's going to cost them and it could cost them
their freedom and it could cost them their reputation."
Comanche County authorities also said Lawton police and Cache police are looking to
file other car burglary charges against the 5 juveniles.
