According to a Facebook post, this car was stolen from a Wilridge Road home during the overnight hours of July 9. It is the third car reported stolen in Wilton over three days.
Contributed photo /WILTON — Since mid-June, there have been more than two dozen motor vehicle burglaries in Wilton, Darien, New Canaan and Ridgefield. Three cars have been stolen in Wilton and one in Ridgefield.
Wilton is the latest town to be hit with two cars reported stolen on July 7 and another on July 9. The latest was taken during the overnight from Godfrey Lane, which is off Wilridge Road in North Wilton. According to a Facebook post, the car was a graduation gift to a Wilton High School student. Items belonging to the girl were thrown from the car near Cannon Road and further south on Route 7 near the intersection of Route 33.
The cars reported stolen on July 7 included a 2014 Lincoln MKT and a 2014 Cadillac SRX. One was taken from Old Belden Hill Road in the southern part of Wilton and the other was from Own Home Avenue, which is off Route 7 in Georgetown. Police did not specify which car was taken from which road. As of July 8, neither had been recovered.
Twelve motor vehicle burglaries were also reported July 7-10: three on Cora Lane, three on Newsome Lane, two on Kent Hills Lane, one on Chipmunk Lane, one on Own Home Avenue, one on Connery Street and one on Sunset Pass.
Capt. Rob Cipolla said several credit cards were reported stolen from some vehicles and police are following up on subsequent fraudulent activity. He also said police are reviewing surveillance video available from several homes.
Police posted a video on the department’s Facebook page that shows two men entering two unlocked cars and then leaving, apparently empty-handed, all in less than a minute.
Wilton has logged 15 motor vehicle burglaries so far this year, compared to eight for the same period last year. There have been eight stolen vehicles, compared to none for the first half of last year.
In Darien, at least eight car burglaries were reported to police at the end of last month: two on June 28, several on June 29, and four on June 30.
One resident was alerted when his driveway flood light was activated, prompting him to look outside and see three males get out of a parked vehicle and begin to approach two vehicles in his driveway, which happened to be locked. The man went to his front door and yelled at the suspects, who then returned to their vehicle and left.
One car owner reported his wallet to be missing with his ID, 20 Euros and bank cards. A pair of Beats headphones was missing as well. None of the other incidents resulted in anything being taken.
Car burglaries from eight roads in New Canaan were reported between June 3 and June 17. Items stolen included golf clubs, a wallet, a laptop, prescription medication, headphones, Apple air pods, a wireless Bluetooth speaker, gold earrings, articles of clothing, folding chairs, an umbrella, a backpack, and sunglasses.
All the incidents occurred during the early morning hours.
New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski said it is probable these crimes are being committed by gang members and that many towns in Fairfield County are experiencing similar crimes.
In Ridgefield, a car stolen on June 27 was recovered two days later. A wallet and cash left in another car in Ridgefield was taken on June 27. Neither car was locked, police said.
Police urge residents to lock their cars whenever they leave them.
Susan Shultz contributed to this story.