The T hief was caugh T on video.

Curran North had been through this before at his Lake Ridge Estates North home. A thief jumped the gate of his driveway just after Thanksgiving and rifled through both cars, making off with a GPS unit.

Since the break-in, North has learned to keep both of his cars empty, and the thief struck out this time except for a coin holder, which was found later down the street.

“Sometimes it’s best to leave the doors unlocked with nothing inside,” North says. “It’s more expensive to replace the glass if they can’t get anything inside.”

In eight years, the Norths have experienced only two incidences of crime. After his most recent car break-in, North says others in the area were been victimized

The Victim: Curran North

The Crime: Burglary of a motor vehicle

Date: Friday, Jan. 20

Time: 1:27 a.m.

Location: 9500 block of Aldwick in similar ways as thieves have “come through in waves, hitting a bunch of cars.” This last time, he was able to catch the criminal touching the car on security video, but police did not come out to take fingerprints, he says.

“I’m not holding my breath at all they’ll catch anyone,” North says.

Dallas Police Sgt. Keitric Jones of the Northeast Patrol Division says a detective viewed the video, but the suspect’s identity could not be determined. He also says the Physical Evidence Squad (PES) was sent to take fingerprints of the vehicle, but weren’t able to make contact with the homeowner. Officers are instructed to ask victims if they would like PES to fingerprint their property.

“Officers also advise the complainant they have to stay on the premises and wait for PES to respond, which can sometimes be a prolonged period of time,” he says. “If the complainant doesn’t want to wait, PES will not be ordered by the officer. If PES responds and cannot make contact with the complainant, they will proceed to the next call.”

If a vehicle is to be fingerprinted, the officer must also take into account how long the car has been subjected to outside elements or other things than can contaminate a crime scene, Jones adds.

Crime Numbers

11 a.m. 16

8800

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Learn how Mayor Rawlings plans to tackle apartment crime.

AdvOcATEmAg.cOm be local be local

The time of day Feb. 1 when a woman was jumped while getting off the DART bus in front of her apartment complex in the 8500 block of Park Lane someone knocked her to the ground and punched her in the face

Source: Dallas Police Department

Number of bottles of conditioner someone tried to steal from Tom Thumb in the 6700 block of Abrams on Feb. 4; the suspect stuffed them in his pants and walked past the register before being caught by security

Block of Central Expressway where a woman ran out of gas and left her car on the side of the road; she returned to find the car had been stolen