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‘Tis the season to be wary

William Ferchland, Tahoe Daily Tribune

Law enforcement officials at South Lake Tahoe want to remind residents and visitors to lock their doors and bring skis and snowboards off car racks.

The reminder stems from a rash of break-ins and ski and snowboard thefts that occurred throughout the week.

On Wednesday morning three snowboards were stolen from a car rack in front of the Tahoe Beach and Ski Club. Burglars used a blow torch to melt the plastic around the locks, South Lake Tahoe police said.



Sgt. Alex Schumacher of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department advised people to bring their snow equipment off their cars and bring them inside, especially if visitors are staying at hotels.

He added that unlocked car doors are attractive to thieves since breaking glass is louder than opening an unlocked door.



Schumacher also cited two thefts on Dec. 8 when thieves opened a door of a house around midnight on San Francisco Avenue and took two purses while the residents were sleeping. The two purses contained $1,590 and were later found on a Christmas tree lot on the corner of Lakeview Avenue and Lake Tahoe Boulevard, he said.

Another theft occurred around 4 a.m. Dec. 8 when a car was warming up on Modesto Avenue. Thieves snatched a backpack that was later found at the same Christmas tree lot, Schumacher said. He added that the backpack was damaged and the owner didn’t want it.

The El Dorado Sheriff’s Department said it has not received any reports of thefts.

“It’s been a quiet year so far,” Sgt. Bob Johnston said, which is “surprising with all the snow we’ve had.”

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Department reported cars that had their windows broken in the Horizon Casino Resort parking lot the morning of Dec. 11. Nothing major was stolen but the stereo faceplates were tampered with, Sgt. Tim Minister said.

“Typically this is the time of year when we get the thefts of items inside vehicles and the skis on top of cars,” he said.

“A lot of the vehicle burgs can be attributed to items that are left in plain sight in the vehicle.”


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