Silver Spring sees surge in parking garage break-ins, police say

SILVER SPRING, MD. - Police in Montgomery County are investigating a rise in vehicle break-ins across Silver Spring, with authorities saying organized crews are behind a wave of thefts targeting both public garages and residential areas.

Officials with the Montgomery County Police Department say the incidents go beyond opportunistic car break-ins, describing them instead as coordinated thefts focused on high-value vehicle components such as catalytic converters and airbags.

By the numbers:

In the Four Corners area alone, investigators say dozens of vehicles were hit in a short period of time.

"In the Four Corners area of Silver Spring, the southwest Four Corners, we had over 25 cars that were targeted from airbags alone," Commander Jason Cokinos told FOX 5 D.C.

He added, "We made some arrests but there are so many people doing it that we are constantly going after them and trying to get them held accountable."

Police say one suspect, a 17-year-old, was arrested after allegedly breaking into more than 15 cars in a single night at a downtown parking garage. Investigators credited surveillance footage shared by residents, which they say helped identify the teen after he later returned to the same garage and was seen wearing similar clothing.

What you can do:

Police are urging drivers to remove valuables from their vehicles and avoid leaving anything in plain sight. They also recommend engraving identifying information on catalytic converters to make them harder to resell and easier to recover if stolen.

Authorities are continuing to ask residents to come forward with any video or photos that could help identify additional suspects or link related cases.

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