26 cars broken into within 2 hours, Gwinnett police say

Three men broke into more than two dozen cars in unincorporated Lawrenceville within about two hours, according to Gwinnett County police.

Authorities are trying to find the suspects who hit 26 cars between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Tuesday, police spokesman Officer Kylie Boney said Thursday in a news release.

The suspects entered cars at seven locations, according to Gwinnett police reports obtained by AJC.com.

Surveillance footage captured the men smashing vehicle windows to get inside.

A majority of the break-ins happened in the parking lots of hotels and apartment complexes, Boney said.

Multiple residents at the HearthSide Sugarloaf apartments reported seeing three men dressed in black trying to open car doors, according to the police reports. One of the witnesses told police he believed the men were related to a resident when they arrived, but called 911 after he saw them tugging at car doors.

Several car owners at the Hampton Inn told police their windows had been smashed and their vehicles had been rummaged through. The hotel did not have external cameras that would have captured the suspects, police said.

One victim told investigators her Jeep had been broken into the previous day at Peachtree Ridge Park. She said she filed a police report and taped plastic over the smashed window.

The woman told police that after she parked her car at the Homewood Suites, someone pulled off the plastic and went through the vehicle. According to the police reports, nothing was missing after the second incident.

The men arrived in a black SUV that might have been a Jeep Cherokee, Boney said. The vehicle appeared to have black rims and a long sticker on the rear window, Boney said.

The alleged car burglars broke into vehicles at:

• the HearthSide Sugarloaf apartments on Sugarloaf Parkway;
• the Hampton Inn on Lakes Parkway;
• the Comfort Inn and Suites on Riverside Parkway;
• the Herrington Mill apartments on Herrington Road;

• the Country Inn and Suites on Duluth Highway;
• the Hampton Inn on Sugarloaf Parkway;
• and the Homewood Suites on Brown Road.

While several victims reported nothing was missing from their cars following the break-ins, Boney said wallets were the most commonly stolen item.

“Please remember to remove valuable items such as purses, wallets, electronics and weapons from vehicles, especially when parked outside overnight,” she said. “Having nothing visible may help deter the vehicle from being broken into.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Gwinnett police at 770-513-5300. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.