STUART, Fla. — The Martin County Sheriff's Office is alerting residents about a rash of auto burglaries in communities throughout the county, especially in the Palm City and Jensen Beach areas.
The sheriff's office said on a Facebook post that thieves have stolen six firearms from vehicles parked in residential communities in the first 12 days into the year.
"Now, half a dozen guns are in the hands of criminals," the sheriff's office said in the post.
All the burglarized vehicles were left unlocked.
"We cannot stress to you enough how dangerous of a trend this is. We can only ask you to help us put a stop to it. Lock your vehicles at night, remove all valuables from plain sight, and remove all firearms. If you see or hear something suspicious, call 911," the sheriff's office added.
A home security camera captured a group of burglars moving from vehicle to vehicle checking doors.
"For the most part, if the door is locked, they move on. If the door is left unlocked, they move through the vehicle quickly. They are looking for guns, and in six cases, they found them. Stolen guns almost always lead to more crimes," the sheriff's office said.