A Northwest-side neighborhood in San Antonio has recently become the target of thieves, enduring two separate incidents of burglary within weeks. On February 2, residents' security cameras caught porch pirates utilizing a U-Haul truck to steal packages. Then, in a brazen follow-up on February 19, footage revealed would-be thieves arriving in a car around 3 a.m., trying to swiftly burglarize vehicles parked in driveways, according to KENS5.
The recent spree has left residents like Alfonso Smith rattled, who described feeling the urge to "stay up like in my military days and stand watch; walk the streets or something," he told KENS5 in disbelief. Despite his efforts to secure his property with locks, cameras, and floodlights, Smith felt that the thieves were undeterred. "They don't care," Smith said. "They just want to get what they want to get."
San Antonio Police Sergeant Nicholas Soliz informed that burglars tend to look for firearms, phones, and cash. "We are always catching burglars," Sgt. Soliz stated, as per KENS5. He emphasized the importance of reporting such incidents, as police are able to lift fingerprints, which can sometimes link prior offenders to the burglaries. Despite approximately 2,000 car burglaries being responded to monthly by SAPD, the figures are likely higher due to underreporting.
Sgt. Soliz also issued a chilling reminder that burglars are now increasingly arming themselves. "No property is worth a life," he cautioned. To combat these crimes, Soliz shared that residents can request additional patrols. "All our San Antonio police officers are proactive when they can be," he said. "If you want extra attention on your neighborhood, you can always call your local substation and ask for overnight patrols whenever district officers and SAFFE officers are available. 100 times out of 100, we are setting that up. Those sheets are given to officers at roll call and they go when they can to show presence in that area," as reported by KENS5.
