Little Italy neighborhood faces car break-ins again

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Cleveland drivers are facing even more car break-ins, this time in Little Italy.

The break-in vandals don’t appear to discriminate, hitting every part of town from one weekend to the next.

At least a dozen car owners on Fairview Avenue woke up on Sunday to find their car windows smashed.

A Case Western student named A.J. says this isn’t even the first time this month.

“The last three years we’ve never had any issues, and the last month we’ve had three instances of cars being broken into all over Little Italy,” he said.

One man who whose driver’s side window was shattered said, “I found out this morning. The officer was doing all the reports and my neighbors saw them.”

Neighbors say a University Circle Police Officer tried to catch the suspects, but the culprits scattered too quickly.

A.J. says he got lucky, because the suspect bypassed his car this time.

“Very frustrating because we pay to park on the street because there’s not a lot of parking for the places we live -- and it’s never really been an issue, but now it’s becoming an issue, we’d like to see something done about it. Like cameras being put up or something, because we don’t know if our cars are safe parking on the street,” he said.

Another resident who was thankful his cars didn’t take a hit is trying to figure out how to protect his cars in the future, or at least catch the suspects on camera.

“I have a dash cam, so I’m thinking of maybe installing something that makes it continuously record,” he said.

Most tell 19 News they feel safe in their neighborhood, but there’s another concern if you come home late, like witnessing a car vandal in the act.

“It’s concerning for our safety too if we get home late, working a late shift or something. You come home and people are getting their cars broken into, right where we live. It’s concerning.”

University Police are investigating and remind car owners to take your valuables out of your car at night, and to deter the suspects from actually taking your car a wheel lock is a good deterrent.