FREDERICKTOWN — According to the Fredericktown Police Department, there has been an increased number of property crimes in the village over the past couple of weeks.
On Monday, at least three cars in town and near the village limits were broken into. Chief Jerry Day said vehicles at Rite-Aid, Dollar General and the Divelbiss Corp. were all targets of an unknown number of suspects, who broke the windows and cut through the soft top of a Jeep to get into the vehicles and take property from inside.
Purses, a cell phone and CDs were taken, according to Lt. Jay Sheffer.
In a separate incident, a juvenile will be charged with breaking and entering into a house on Oct. 16. Day called the incident isolated and said only cigarettes and a lighter were taken.
A report of another burglary earlier this month is also under investigation. Day said his department would not release further information at this time due to the pending investigation.
The chief stressed the need for people to call when they see something suspicious in town, or something does just not look right.
“If they see things, they need to call,” Day said Wednesday.
Sheffer said it is impossible for officers to be everywhere at once, and the department relies on the public to look out for each other as well.
“I’ve only got two eyes, so I can only see what I’m looking at,” Sheffer said. “If we’ve got the general public out there watching and listening that gives us more eyes and ears.”
