Costa Mesa sees spree of vehicle burglaries

Costa Mesa police said a rash of vehicle burglaries over the weekend in one apartment complex was unlike any they had seen in some time.

Between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. Monday, Costa Mesa police were inundated with calls from concerned residents of the Park Center Place Apartments, 575 W. 19th St., after many came out to their cars that morning and saw their windows smashed and the insides ransacked.

Authorities said at least 10 cars were broken into overnight. Of those, eight car owners reported items stolen, mostly electronics, Sgt. Bryan Glass said. The remaining two cars also had smashed windows, but nothing was taken, Glass said.

Police said they have no suspect information and don’t know if it was more than one person.

The scale of the spree was unusual for the city, Glass said.

Police urge residents to always make sure their doors and windows are locked, and that valuables are either taken with them or kept out of plain view of potential criminals.

Authorities did not have an estimated value on the property lost.