Surveillance video captures car break-in suspects in Oakleaf in Clay County

A squad of suspected thieves was caught on a surveillance camera early Tuesday morning trying to break into vehicles in an Oakleaf neighborhood.

Action News Jax confirmed the group is responsible for at least three auto burglaries and a vehicle theft that occurred that morning in the same area, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

The surveillance video shows four suspects approaching the woman's cars in her driveway on Southland Lane. Right in front of the camera, one of men tries to open a car door, but can't get in.

The victim didn't want to be identified, but said she woke up to a call from her security company before 4 a.m.

“You're watching this play out from inside your house?” Action News Jax Reporter russell Colburn asked.

“Yeah,” the victim replied.  “(It was) scary, very scary. You can't describe it.”

The suspects spent about a minute at her home before moving on.  A fifth man, who had previously been off-camera, joined them, and they left.

“We never have any issues like this, except for whenever the schools let out and then you get these people that come and want to break in and take things that don't belong to them,” the victim said.

The Clay County Sheriff's Office said these kinds of crimes are on the rise in Oakleaf.

The Sheriff's Office provided the data below, which shows that calls for service for stolen vehicles, burglaries and burglaries in progress, robbery and trespassing for the last year to date all increased from the previous year.

From July 19, 2015 to June 19, 2016, there were 13 stolen vehicles reported, while there were 23 stolen vehicles reported from July 19, 2016 to June 19, 2017. For the same time periods, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, burglaries increased from 130 to 148, burglaries in progress increased from 9 to 16, robberies increased from one to three and trespassing increased from 34 calls to 40.

“The word is getting out with the suspects that are hitting these neighborhoods,” said CCSO Sgt Mike Connors.  “When we arrest them, we interview them. And they're telling their buddies, 'Hey, go hit Oakleaf,' and, 'Go hit other big neighborhoods,' because they know that the citizens there aren't locking their vehicles so it's an easy target for them.”

Cox Media Group