'I Felt A Little Violated' Says Victim In Douglas County Crime Wave
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (CBS4) - "We woke up and the car door was wide open."
Lisa and Christopher Cincotta are part of a growing number of crime victims in Douglas County.
"I was angry. I felt a little violated," Lisa Cincotta said.
Sunday morning thieves rifled through their unlocked Chevy parked in the driveway of their Highlands Ranch home.
"They rummaged through the console box and stole the GPS," Lisa Cincotta said.
Since Aug. 1 there have been 100 car break-ins, and 24 vehicles stolen in Highlands Ranch and Parker. Most thefts happened in the overnight hours. The majority of the vehicles were left unlocked or with the keys still inside.
Sgt. Lori Bronner told CBS4's Tom Mustin the thieves are taking money, backpacks, CD's, and most alarmingly, garage door openers.
"Which is concerning because it means they probably have intent to come back and look into the garage and try to gain access to other areas," Bronner said.
Twenty vehicles were hit Monday alone. Now the Douglas County Sheriff's Office is looking for 43-year-old Marcus Hicks. Investigators believe Hicks is involved in several crimes and may have had help.
"He may be one of the group. He may be acting on his own, but we do believe there are possibly groups working our area," Bronner said.
As the hunt for Hicks intensifies, Chris Cincotta says it's time for the crime wave to end.
"He can work hard and buy stuff rather than steal it," he said.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says residents should look their car doors, and bring garage door openers inside for the night. Anyone with information on the crimes is asked to call the sheriff's office at (303) 660-7500.
Tom Mustin is CBS4's Weekend Anchor. He has been with CBS4 since 2002, and is always looking for great story ideas. Follow Tom on Twitter @TomCBS4.
