Original Post: September 26, 2019 @ 10:00 a.m,
Last Updated: October 1, 2019 @ 9:30 a.m.
The Punta Gorda Police Department is currently investigating several vehicle burglaries and a vehicle theft that occurred last night in Punta Gorda Isles.
At approximately 2:45 a.m. officers located a pickup truck behind Bal Harbor Plaza that had been listed as stolen out of Estero, Florida. At approximately 6:45 a.m. officers began responding to reports of several vehicle burglaries and a vehicle theft in the area of Ryan Boulevard, including St. Kitts Court, Carupano Court, and Aruba Court. Currently officers have responded to four vehicle burglaries. It is believed that these crimes and the vehicle recovered behind Bal Harbor Plaza are related.
All of the vehicles that had been burglarized had been left unlocked so no forced entry occurred. It has been reported that several small items or change had been taken from those vehicles.
The stolen vehicle, a 2018 white in color Volkswagen SUV, was taken from the 5000 block of La Costa Island Court. The vehicle is believed to have been unlocked with the keys inside the vehicle. The stolen vehicle was last seen in the Fort Myers area near Interstate 75 and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
UPDATE (October 1, 2019): The Punta Gorda Police Department received reports of a total of thirteen vehicles that had been entered that night. The vehicle stolen from Punta Gorda was recovered in Fort Myers, Florida and has been processed for evidence. Also, a resident in the area caught the suspects attempting to open their locked vehicle on their security camera.
Detectives and Crime Scene are continuing to investigate. Anyone with information on these crimes are encouraged to contact Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-780-TIPS or by visiting www.southwestfloridacrimestoppers.com. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward for information leading to an arrest.