Police Reports: A String of Smash and Grab Car Break-Ins

A string of car break-ins was reported in recent days, including daytime smash and grabs of purses and electronics, police say.

It's not uncommon for police reports to include thefts from unlocked vehicles.

But this week saw the more unusual crime of vehicle windows smashed to grab items inside. It happened to a half dozen vehicles parked at the , , and :

• More than $2,600 worth of items including purses and cell phones were taken from a Lexus, Toyota and third unidentified vehicle, all parked outside Wisconsin Hills Middle School between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. July 14, reports say. All had windows smashed.
• A Garmin GPS and purse with wallet were taken from a Toyota van whose front passenger window was smashed outside Brookfield Hills Golf Course, 16075 Pinehurst Dr. between 9:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. July 13.
• A purse, credit cards, phone and money were taken from a Toyota Camry whose front passenger window was smashed between 1 and 2:15 p.m. July 14 in the Wirth Park tot lot, 2495 Pilgrim Road.
• A purse and contents were stolen from a Grand Caravan whose driver's side window was smashed between 6:45 and 7:30 a.m. July 14 at Ballys, 16985 W. Blue Mound Road.
• About $2,575 worth of golf clubs, golf bag, other golf items and a GPS were taken from an unlocked vehicle in a residential driveway in the 14000 block of Santa Rosa Drive between 10 p.m. July 11 and 7:30 a.m. July 12.

In other recent calls to police: 

Teenage solicitors: A 14-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy were warned for soliciting without a city permit July 14. The teens said they were raising money for "whatIneedforschool.com." A supervisor came to pick them up near 17000 Royalcrest Drive.

Harassment: called police when an out-of-state billing collector kept calling the restaurant to talk to an employee who wasn't there. The collector, who said he was in North Carolina, called back eight or nine times in the 10 minutes before the restaurant called police July 14.

Liquor lift: Someone stole $152.94 worth of liquor from , 12735 W. Capitol Dr. about 12:15 p.m. July 13.

Another guitar theft: An $866 bass guitar was stolen from the , 17135 W. Blue Mound Road about 1 p.m. July 14. A from the same store between June 27 and July 3.

Graffiti: A homosexual slur was written with a red Sharpie on the back of the building for Badger Thermal, 12710 Robin Lane. The business said July 14 that graffiti had been an ongoing problem, although it washed off without damage.

Cell phone theft: Three suspects distracted clerks at Best Buy Mobile in the Brookfield Square mall and stole cell phones worth $358 at about 8:45 p.m. July 13.

Drugs in woods: An 18-year-old man was arrested for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia after being caught with drugs in a wooded area near Bartlett Drive about 8:30 p.m. July 13. 

Car mirror theft: A man called police to say someone had stolen just the mirror on his wife's 2011 Lexus, not the housing unit surrounding the mirror. The theft occurred while the car was parked at the grocery store July 12.

Cars "keyed": Police were called to Brookfield Square mall and 525 S. Executive Drive on July 13 for reports of two cars being "keyed" in the afternoon. 

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The above items are from reports from local police departments. In all incidents where an arrest occurred, a charge is merely an accusation and not evidence of guilt. The arrested person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.