Motor Vehicle Break-ins Plague Tunxis Hill Area

Eight unlocked cars were broken into either late Thursday or early today within about a two-block radius on the outskirts of the Tunxis Hill section of town.

Police said two unlocked cars parked in the driveway of a home in the 300 block of Jennings Road were entered and an iPod Touch and cable, valued at a total of $375, were reported stolen from one car and a checkbook was reported stolen from the other. The break-ins were reported at 6:25 a.m. today, police said.

In another case, another two cars, also unlocked and in a driveway in the 300 block of Jennings Road, were entered and a Gateway laptop computer valued at $600 was reported stolen from one car and a GPS unit of unknown value was reported stolen from the other. The GPS was recovered in a driveway in the 800 block of Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield and was returned to the owner, police said. Those break-ins were reported at 7:34 a.m. today, police said.

In another case, a car parked in a driveway in the 700 block of Black Rock Turnpike was entered and a GPS unit valued at $200 was reported stolen. Police said the victim wasn't sure if the car had been left unlocked, but there was no sign of forced entry. The break-in was reported at 7:52 a.m. today, police said.

In another case, a GPS unit valued at $200 was reported stolen from an unlocked 2006 Chevrolet Malibu on Silliman Street. The break-in was reported at 8:15 a.m. today, police said.

In another case, a GPS unit of unknown value was reported stolen from the center console of an unlocked Nissan Pathfinder parked on Adelaide Street early today. Police said the victim, a probation officer, returned home from work about 1:30 a.m., heard his dog barking "hysterically" at 2:30 a.m. and found that his car had been broken into about 6 a.m. Police said the probation officer's wallet was found under a tree and that his badge and identification card were still in it.

In another case, two folding buck knives with four-inch blades were reported stolen from the center console of an unlocked pickup truck parked in a driveway in the 800 block of Old Stratfield Road sometime early today. The theft was reported at 9:20 a.m. today, police said.

In an earlier case, a GPS unit valued at $120 and a cell phone valued at $100 were reported stolen from an unlocked Chevrolet Express on Castle Avenue sometime between 7 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. Thursday. The break-in was reported at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, police said.