Greene County neighborhood has string of cars ransacked, nothing stolen

GREENE COUNTY, Mo. (KY3) - The Greene County Sheriff’s Office is advising people to be on the lookout for thieves on the prowl in groups.

The warning comes after cars were ransacked in the 1300 block of E. Highpoint Street on December 3 around 3:30 a.m. No one on the street had anything stolen but it’s left neighbors shaken up. Sherry Marler woke up to a notification from her ring alarm while a man was inside her car.

”I pulled up my phone and I was shocked because I thought I had seen movement in my car, which was in the driveway,” Marler says. “My brain had to take a couple of seconds to process it like oh my gosh that is somebody in my car right now.”

Marler just bought her Ring camera on Black Friday. When she saw that video live, her husband ran outside and stopped the guy. Luckily, nothing was taken but it has left her worried.

“I think the fear of seeing it in the act is probably the hardest,” Marler says. “If they came and gone and I’d seen it on my camera the next day, yes I would’ve probably felt violated but when I had seen it happening, they were literally in my stuff.”

Security video shows two vehicles going through the neighborhood last Friday morning. The video shows people jumping out, checking for unlocked doors, and then going through cars. The Greene County Sheriff’s Office says the suspects are men in their early twenties. The suspects were driving a dark-colored four-door sedan and a white van. The men went house to house down the street, with one group hitting the left side while the other was focusing on the right side of the street.

“Even though the colder months are coming and we’re experiencing some chillier temperatures, the thieves are still out there,” Deputy Paige Rippee says. “They bundle up. I’ve seen it firsthand.”

Amie VanDamme has lived in the neighborhood for 19 years. The reason for staying for nearly two decades is the tight-knit community and sense of security.

“It was disturbing to think in our quiet little neighborhood that we had people who didn’t belong going through our belongings,” VanDamme says.

Vandamme says after learning about cars being ransacked on her street, she made sure to put her car back in the garage instead of parking on the street.

“If we happen to keep them out at night because we’re doing a project in the garage or something like that, being mindful to keep valuables inside and keep car doors locked,” VanDamme says. “That’s something that’s new to the last couple of years.”

Locking the car is usually a routine for Marler. However, that night she forgot.

Marler is encouraging neighbors to stay aware and make sure they bring anything valuable inside.

“Our neighbors are very protective of each other,” Marler says.

Another reminder is to never leave your garage door opener in your car if you park on the street or driveway.

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