Camera Catches Thief Linked To 3 Car Burglaries, Including Marked Police SUV
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LAUDERDALE LAKES (CBSMiami) – The Broward Sheriff's Office is hoping you can match a name to the mug of a car burglar that was brazen enough to steal from a marked police SUV.
BSO said one of the thefts was caught on surveillance in the early morning hours of April 24th.
The man smashed his way into a Yellow Cab Toyota Prius that was parked outside the owner's Lauderdale Lakes apartment at 2700 block of Somerset Drive.
A rear-view camera clearly captured the man's face as he rummaged through the cab. The taxi driver told authorities the thief didn't take anything from his vehicle.
BSO believes the car burglar also broke into two other vehicles in the complex on the same morning, including a marked North Miami Police Department Chevrolet Tahoe.
Investigators said the thief took a vest with "Police" emblazoned on the front and back as well as $143 worth of LED flares.
The final smash and grab was on a Dodge Charger, where he stole a Glock 26 pistol with two magazines that hold 21 bullets.
BSO spokesperson Joy Oglesby said the combination of the stolen police vest and the gun taken from another car could help the burglar masquerade as a cop.
"That is a great concern of ours, because with the stolen Glock gun and the carrier vest that has a police patch on it, he may be impersonating a police officer," Oglesby said.
Oglesby said the burglar is reckless and fearless, and "considered a great danger."
"This guy is a brazen and callous enough to go into a marked vehicle. There is no stopping him. We just ask the public identify him as quickly as possible so we can get him off the street," Oglesby said.
Anyone with information about this theft is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS (8477).
Anonymous tips that lead to an arrest are eligible for a reward of up to $3,000.
