Three people have been arrested after a rash of vehicle thefts in Ottawa's south and west ends in recent weeks.
20-year-old Chris Maughan is charged with attempted theft and possession of stolen property, among other offences. Ottawa police say Maughan is responsible for 44 vehicle break-ins in the Barrhaven area.
iPods, GPS, and stereo equipment were some of the stolen objects. Police say these objects are usually the cause of many break-ins.
Two young offenders have also been connected to 11 thefts from vehicles in the Stittsville area.
Ottawa police reported almost 100 vehicles were broken into in the city's west end over the last month. Ninety vehicles were broken into in the Stittsville, Barrhaven and Kanata areas between April 12 and May 9, with some neighbourhoods reporting a 100 per cent increase in vehicle break-ins. The latest break-ins occurred in the Longfields area of Barrhaven.
Lock Your Doors
The majority of the vehicles were unlocked when they were targeted, prompting police to urge residents to lock their car doors.
"Lock your doors and keep your valuables out of your cars," said Sgt. Barbara O'Reilly.
Police say many of the incidents are happening in clusters, with several vehicles targeted in a single night. About 30 per cent of the vehicles either had their doors forced in or their windows smashed.
Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to contact Ottawa police at 613-236-1222, ext. 7300 or Crime Stoppers at 613-233-8477 (TIPS).
