BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — The Broken Arrow Police Department is urging residents to lock up their cars as a spike in break-ins has been reported.
Ryan Littlejohn has called Broken Arrow home for a decade. But thieves went through his truck while he slept Tuesday night, and he didn't discover the theft until he reached for his wallet at a nearby Lowe's the next day.
"Still not knowing what had happened. And so I left Lowe's, went out to my truck to find that my wallet was gone. I'm like, OK, so I lift the center console because I left my gun in there the night before, found my gun was gone," Littlejohn said.
WATCH: Car break-ins up in Broken Arrow; Police warn of summer theft spike:
His backpack was also missing, along with his laptop, iPad, passport, and personal journals. He later found some of his belongings scattered in neighbors' yards.
Police say thieves used a stolen car to drive through Littlejohn's neighborhood and went through his truck, which he believed was locked.
"You feel violated… dirty, as somebody went through your life without permission. This is a safe neighborhood. I never thought about locking my truck every night," Littlejohn said.
Broken Arrow police say Littlejohn's experience is not unusual. The city sees a summer spike in car break-ins each year.
"As the temperatures go up, uh, the outdoor activities increase, uh, all the kids are out of school, so you'll see more people walking, exercising, doing things outside just naturally, uh, and it is more comfortable, honestly, for criminals to be out rather than in February and March," a Broken Arrow police spokesperson said.
Police say there are three things residents can do to protect themselves:
- Remove it - Take all belongings with you when you leave your vehicle.
- Lock it - Lock your car every time you get out.
- Report it - If you see something suspicious or believe items are missing, report it to the police immediately.
Littlejohn said police believe the suspects may be teenagers.
"It's just a few kids that are thinking that this is fun, and it's, uh, it's expensive for other people, but it's gonna lead them nowhere," Littlejohn said.
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