The office asked anyone with information about the offense to reach out to Investigator Chad Kirk directly, either by calling 940-349-1670 or emailing [email protected]. The request for information was posted under Sheriff Tracy Murphree’s office this week, more than a week after the reported break-ins.
No Suspect Description Released Yet
The sheriff’s office has not released a suspect description, vehicle information or details about what, if anything, was taken from the vehicles involved. The post lays out only the location, date and case numbers, and it does not say how many vehicles were affected or whether the three case numbers represent separate victims on the same night.
In a separate Lantana investigation, a suspect allegedly broke into a vehicle and later used stolen credit cards at a Walmart in Hickory Creek on Oct. 22, according to the Cross Timbers Gazette. The suspect was reported to be wearing a light-gray hoodie and sweatpants, with a balaclava-style mask, backpack and headphones.
A Regional Pattern of Unlocked Cars
Vehicle burglaries have been a recurring headache across Denton County in recent years, and unlocked doors are often the common thread. The Denton Record-Chronicle reported that Denton police received 78 vehicle burglary reports between Nov. 20 and Jan. 20, and that in a majority of those cases, owners said their vehicles had been left unlocked.
A separate Denton Record-Chronicle report found that Denton police filed 74 burglary-of-a-motor-vehicle incident reports involving 140 vehicles in a single month, with the highest concentration occurring at apartment complexes between Interstate 35E, Eagle Drive and Dallas Drive. Crime analysts cited in that reporting found that most burglaries happened sporadically throughout the week, typically between 4 p.m. and 1 a.m. Denton police community resource officer Ricky Fenner told the paper that burglars usually check door handles for unlocked vehicles rather than breaking windows, noting, “Usually, burglars check handles for unlocked doors.”
Countywide Context and Prevention
Denton County describes the Sheriff’s Office as having countywide jurisdiction and providing criminal investigations and other law-enforcement services, which provides context for its involvement in the Justin reports. Separately, the Denton Record-Chronicle reported that property crimes in Denton city fell from 3,563 in 2023 to 2,955 in 2024, with burglary, theft and vehicle theft each declining; those city figures do not establish a trend in the separate Justin cases. In separate coverage of Denton police prevention guidance, the Denton Record-Chronicle advised residents to lock vehicle doors and keep car keys in a secure place. As a separate historical example, the Cross Timbers Gazette reported that a vehicle was entered in Double Oak on Aug. 3, 2017, and stolen credit cards were later used to buy electronics at a local discount retailer; the account said a suspect was booked into jail on related charges. That case is not connected to the Justin incidents.
How to Report Information
Anyone with information about the Justin burglaries is asked to contact Investigator Chad Kirk at the Denton County Sheriff’s Office, whose main office is located at 127 N. Woodrow Lane, Suite 300, in Denton. The office has not indicated whether any arrests have been made or suspects identified in the three open cases.
