South Lake Tahoe police reports recent surge in auto thefts, attempted thefts

During the nine days of July, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department has investigated several thefts and attempted thefts of vehicles in the City. The targeted victim vehicles appear to be vans in particular.

On July 4th, 2013 a 1992 Dodge van was stolen from 2111 South Ave. This van was located and recovered locally. Case number 1307-0645:

On July 7th, 2013 a 1993 dark Green Ford Aerostar Van was stolen from 861 EBR. This van has not been located or recovered. It has "bondo" material on the left rear quarter panel and has separating paint. It has a California license plate number of 4BLP370. Case number 1307-0895

On July 7th, 2013 a black 2000 Ford E350 was broken into at 924 Emerald Bay Road. The ignition had been damaged. The suspect(s) was not successful in stealing this vehicle. Case number 1307-0941

On July 9th, 2013 a 2006 Ford E350, 1 ton diesel extended length van was stolen from 976 Emerald Bay Road. This vehicle has not been located or recovered. It is all white in color. It has a California license plate number of 8G35339, and displays the number16 in 4” block letters near both front doors and on rear of the van. Case number 1307-1128

On July 9th, 2013 an attempt was made to steal a 1989 Ford Bronco from 976 Emerald Bay Road. Although the ignition had been damaged, the suspect(s) was unsuccessful in stealing this vehicle. Case number
1307-1135

It another case, which may or may not be related, the Placerville Police Department investigated the theft of a van from the Marshall Hospital parking lot in Placerville yesterday (7-8-13). This vehicle has been recovered.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department wants to inform our public in an effort to raise awareness of this current issue and to reduce the potential for further vehicle thefts. We encourage the public to be on the lookout for the two unrecovered stolen vehicles and to take some basic safety measures which will help protect you from having your vehicle stolen.

— Do not leave keys in your vehicle. Thieves are very skilled at locating hidden keys.

— Lock your vehicle. No community is exempt from this type of crime, and this simple step will ward away the less determined criminal.

— Diminish attention. Don’t leave valuables or documents in plain view.

— Security devices. Remember to activate your alarm if equipped. Steering wheel inhibitors and other theft protection systems such as LoJack can help as well.

— Report Suspicious Activity. Watch out for your neighborhood and business parking areas.