JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Officials in Jefferson County are investigating a string of vehicle break-ins that have occurred at several churches across the Littleton area.
From May 1 to Aug. 29, a total of 16 motor vehicle thefts and break-ins occurred in the Littleton area that share similar characteristics, according to deputies with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
Even though detectives can't say for sure if all incidents are related, all the locations targeted by the thieves share the following characteristics:
- Vehicle was stolen or trespassed during church service hours. If trespassed, at least one of the windows was broken.
- Occurred on Sundays between 9 a.m. and noon.
- Vehicles were left unlocked, with keys in cup holder, or was locked and breached via the window.
- There appear to be between two to four suspects, but age, race and gender are unknown at this time.
- In four of the incidents, a black Ford F-150 with an extended cab and chrome band across the tailgate was identified on security footage.
Denver7 spoke with pastors from two of the 12 impacted churches — both of whom had surveillance video showing the suspected vehicle.
"My concern is, it will escalate and that someone's gonna get hurt. And we really don't want that to happen," said Kirsten Barlow, lead pastor at Heritage United Methodist Church.
Barlow said they had one car break-in on Aug. 20. during church services, but added that nothing was taken from the car.
"Fortunately, because the perpetrators were scared off by people coming out of the church building," said Barlow.
Not too far from Barlow's church, the suspected vehicle was also seen on surveillance video that same day at Living Savior Lutheran Church.
"You want church to be in someone's mind, a place that's safe and comfortable, where you can really focus on a lot of other things," said the church's pastor, Daniel Bondow. "So something like this isn't just a distraction. But it's — I mean, it's disappointing, and there's some pain involved."
Pastor Bondow said at his church, a vehicle was broken into and another was stolen.
"It was one of those things, looking back on it, you're thankful that, you know, there wasn't an altercation," he said. "Crime is unfortunate but we're thankful nobody was injured and we have what means most to us."
Deputies with the sheriff's office said Lakewood Police and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office are also seeing a pattern of similar crimes at churches in their jurisdictions.
If you have any information, you're asked to call the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office tip line at 303-271-5612.
In the meantime, officials are reminding everyone to lock their car doors and not leave anything of value visible in your vehicle.
