NOLANVILLE, Texas — It was a simple crime of opportunity that turned the residents of Cimarron Park Estates in Nolanville into victims of burglary and theft when their cars were broken into.
Some were also stolen before the sun came up on Wednesday morning.
Angel Carnahan was one of several people at Cimarron Park Estates that went outside to find an empty spot where their car should have been.
”I though my husband was playing a joke on me and maybe parked my car next door,” Carnahan said.
“When I got out here, my Jeep was gone. All that’s left is a dirt spot on the ground.”
According to the Nolanville Police Department, three vehicles were stolen and recovered at the local CEFCO gas station, but the theft of a car leaves a lasting impact.
”I feel violated,” Carnahan said.
“I know it sounds weird because they just stole my car, but I've never had something like this happen, and I feel like they invaded my space."
Several more vehicles were broken into, and different items were also stolen.
”Just little things inside of your vehicle like a few dollar bills, a book bag, some purses, wallets,” said Chief Michael Hatton with the Nolanville Police Department.
Authorities believe the crimes were committed by a group of juveniles, and only one of them is currently in custody.
”Right now the case is with juvenile services — they have all the information,” Chief Hatton said.
“We are going to be adding a few more charges once we get the other victim statements.”
Police say locking car doors can help prevent this from happening to others.
”These are all crimes of opportunity,” Chief Hatton said.
“They're going around just checking door handles. If they’re open, they go through them. if they’re locked, they move on.”
The best way to avoid this happening to anyone else, is to make sure car doors are locked at night.
Police recommend to not leave anything valuable in sight, such as electronics or a weapon.
