From Roanoke County Police: This past Sunday night into early Monday morning, 29 separate victims reported cars being broken into in the Lindenwood and Crofton neighborhoods in Roanoke County (near Vinton). The cars were left unlocked and various items stolen, including a gun, cash, wallets, handbags, debit cards, knives, and electronics. No suspects have been positively identified and police continue to investigate.

Roanoke County Police cannot stress enough how important it is for citizens to remove valuables from their cars and lock their doors. A recent rash of car break -ins occurring across the County has prompted Police to use the citizen alert system – RoCo Alert which works much like reverse 9-1-1 to make residents aware of car break-ins in their neighborhoods, encourage them to lock their cars and report any suspicious activity by calling 9-1-1. Police are also using Citizen Alert messages on their social media channels to heighten awareness of the issue. Citizens can use the PoliceView app https://policeview.roanokecountyva.gov to view locations of the car break-ins.