FAIRFIELD, Conn. (WABC) — Fairfield police are advising residents to lock their cars amid a recent increase in attempted vehicle and property thefts in the area.

The department says the worrying trend began in September and has continued this month.

Officers responded to attempted vehicle thefts on Lovers Lane on September 1st. Two suspects on a moped were seen accessing unlocked vehicles parked in residential driveways. Witnesses and security footage captured the suspects breaking into a Range Rover, where they stole a key from inside the vehicle. The suspects fled the area before police arrived and then drove to other homes in the area entering additional vehicles.

Police say just one day later, the same suspects returned to the area and attempted to burglarize an occupied home on Highlawn Road. Surveillance footage captured a suspect trying to open the front door using keys stolen during the previous day’s crime. The suspects were unable to enter, but did break into a shed.

On November 3, officers observed two vehicles parked with their doors open in the area of ​​Smith Street and Oldfield Road. Several people were seen trying to break into other cars parked nearby. As the police approached, the individuals fled the scene.

“These incidents underscore the importance of taking simple precautions,” said Fairfield Police Chief Robert Kalamaras. “Lock your vehicles, remove valuables and never leave keys inside. By working together, we can send a clear message that Fairfield is not a place for criminal activity.”

Police noted that one of the suspects filmed was involved in a shooting incident just days after the attempted burglary on Highlawn Road. Two weeks later, the same suspect was arrested in another city with a loaded firearm.

Both suspects in the September incidents have been identified and arrested, police said.

Fairfield Police say since the Sept. 1 attempt, they have responded to more than 48 thefts from vehicles and 17 reported stolen vehicles.

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