Syracuse University students and area residents reported a chain of car break-ins Tuesday. Fourteen cars were broken into and property was stolen near the Clarendon Heights Apartment Building on Ivy Ridge Road, and in the 100 block of Jamesville Avenue, according to police reports.

At least five SU students had property taken, including GPS systems, iPods, digital cameras and wallets.

Sgt. David Sackett said the Syracuse Police Department patrolled the area Tuesday night and there are no suspects at this time. In the reports, SPD officer Daren Kullman estimated the break-ins took place between 10:30 p.m. Monday and 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

‘It was a smash and grab,’ Sackett said. ‘They took anything that was visible.’

Jane Zhang, a second-year College of Law student, parked her car outside her apartment in Clarendon Heights Monday at 4 p.m. as she does every night.

The next morning, Zhang woke up to find her passenger-side window smashed and an iPod and GPS taken from the car’s center console. Zhang said the electronics were not in plain view.

‘I was just shocked. I’ve never experienced this before, and I didn’t think it would happen to me here,’ she said, ‘Also, I didn’t leave anything out or anything, so I have no idea why they broke in.’

Zhang estimates the cost of stolen property at $500, plus the additional $250 she had to pay to repair her window.

Police brought in an evidence technician to review the scene and checked area pawnshops, including stores on North Geddes, North Salina and Butternut streets and Grant Boulevard for recently acquired electronics. They found no matches, according to reports.

Mark Majewski is a Syracuse Athletics intern. He’s lived in Clarendon Heights since July and had his GPS system stolen the night of the break-ins.

‘It was about quarter of eight in the morning when I went to my car,’ he said, ‘I had all my stuff in my hand, sun was shining down, first thing I see is more than your average number of people in the parking lot.’

Majewski said he approached his car to find the window gone and smashed glass in the passenger’s side seat.

Benjamin Demartino, 27, also lives in Clarendon Heights and was the victim of a break-in.

‘I was walking out to go to work the next morning at about 8:40, and I looked at my car, and at first I just thought I left a window down.’

Then Demartino realized he didn’t have a window anymore. He was also out a digital camera and an iPod – both stolen from his dashboard and center console.

Demartino, who has lived in Clarendon Heights for three years, said this is the first major crime he’s experienced since he moved to the area, and he doesn’t have reason to believe it’ll happen again.

‘I don’t really think this is going to be a reoccurring thing,’ he said. ‘But I’m also not gonna be keeping anything valuable in my car anymore.’

jmterrus@syr.edu

Published on April 15, 2009 at 12:00 pm