Crime & Safety

Smyrna Police Investigate Car Break-Ins

Smyrna police are currently investigating five car break-ins that all took place on the same day, plus an update concerning break-ins in Bennett Woods.

Smyrna police are investigating a rash of car break-ins that occurred Saturday, March 24 during some Smyrna Little League games.

Smyrna police reported three incidents at Jonquil Park and two at Brinkley Park where a perpetrator forced entry into automobiles by breaking their windows. Officer Michael Smith, the police department’s public information officer, said personal items like purses and laptops were stolen from the vehicles.

“This is unusual to what we typically see,” he said. “Usually people leave their cars unlocked, but in this particular case all the cars were physically broken into.”

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Smith said no one is reported to have seen the break-ins, all of which occurred between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The only lead in the investigation is surveillance footage from Walmart on Cobb Parkway where a suspect is alleged to have used one of the stolen credit cards shortly after the break-ins. The footage shows a bearded man wearing a black baseball cap making a purchase with the stolen card. Footage from the parking lot shows the suspect leaving the store in what appears to be a white Chevrolet Traverse or Equinox.

Smith also offered an update about a several vehicle break-ins that took place in Smyrna’s Bennett Woods neighborhood in December and January. He said Smyrna police have identified a person of interest in the case, but don’t have enough evidence to press charges at this time.

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However, Smith said, the person of interest is currently in custody at Cobb County Jail after he was caught by Cobb police breaking into a vehicle.  

“The good thing is since he’s already on probation and he got nabbed in the act in Cobb County, he’s looking at substantial time,” he said.

In February that Smyrna investigators thought some juveniles might have been responsible for some of the other break-ins in Bennett Woods. 


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