As Temperatures Rise, Theft Complaints Spike

Winter was dark and cold, and spring was mostly wet and still cold. And finally sunny and warm weather allowed everyone to step outside and get some fresh air.

However, with the rise in mercury comes a rise in thefts.

The Menomonee Falls Police Department on Thursday issued a text warning reminding residents to close their garage doors, and lock their vehicles.

A rash of thefts from garages and vehicles were reported in a single night.

Sometime between April 28 and April 29, an individual walked into a garage in a home on the W21000 block of Maclynn Drive and stole a Kona brand road bike worth $1,225. The garage door was left open over night by mistake, but other items in the garage were left undisturbed.

During the same night, a red Giant Iguana mountain bike was stolen from an open garage in a home on the N5000 block of Memorial Drive. A neighbor witnessed a suspicious SUV circling the block at roughly 4:15 a.m. that night. Police believe the two bike thefts may be related.

Again on that evening, a 2,000-watt generator – still sealed in its box - was stolen from a garage on the W17000 block of Maple Crest Lane. It’s unknown if the garage was open or closed, but the side service door was left open. Police did obtain fingerprint evidence from the scene.

A theft from an automobile took place that night as well. A person entered an unlocked vehicle in a driveway along Lancaster Avenue and stole $246 from a wallet. Five unopened packs of cigarettes were also taken from the vehicle.

A few days earlier, between April 26 and April 27, a person stole eight solar-powered lights from the front yard of a home on Autumn View Lane.