String of car thefts, break-ins in St. Johns County

St. Johns County deputies are investigating a string of car thefts and break-ins over the weekend.

One man told deputies he was getting ready for work Monday morning when he noticed his black 2018 Ford Fusion was not in his driveway off E. Pleasant Place.

The report says keys to the car were inside his wife’s car -- which was unlocked.

A Sheriff’s Office report reveals another car was stolen Monday morning from St. Johns Forest, a gated community off County Road 210.

The 2018 Chevy Equinox was also left unlocked, the report says.

Deputies also got calls about several cars broken into on Sanctuary Drive.

Two days prior, a report says a car was reported stolen from Arbor Club Drive in Ponte Vedra.

Another man reported his gun stolen from his vehicle off Fourteenth Street in Elkton Sunday.

Deputies are looking into if the break-ins are connected.

“Criminals are getting smarter every day and we’re just trying to keep up with them,” Kimberly Kalke said.

She is a neighborhood watch coordinator for St. Johns Golf & Country Club, and posted a warning on Facebook after hearing about the break-ins in neighboring communities.

She tells Action News Jax that a license plate reader has helped deter thieves from her neighborhood.

“We have not seen as many stolen vehicles or as many burglary type incidents,” she said.

She’s hoping families in other neighborhoods will take extra precautions to make sure they’re not targeted by victims.

Cox Media Group