The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office says they are searching for a group of people suspected of "car hopping" and possibly stealing vehicles in the Willow Cove and Greenleaf subdivisions in Ponte Vedra Beach and Nocatee.
Deputies say the group were last seen early Monday morning on surveillance video at 2:30 in the morning and one of the suspects was caught on tape.
WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING: On June 4, 2018, the photographed suspect along with others went car hopping through the Willow...
Posted by St. Johns County Sheriff's Office on Monday, June 4, 2018
Commander Chuck Mulligan with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office says these incidents is the latest in an up tick in cars stolen in the county over the past month.
“It is critically, that people begin to lock their cars and remove valuables from their vehicles because they are making themselves a target.” Commander Mulligan says.
He says over the past month the sheriff’s office has seen people coming into the county from the north and the south and stealing cars that are unlocked, and some had guns in them.
Commander Mulligan says 9 cars were stolen in St. John County last weekend and all were unlocked except for a few that were taken from a car dealership. Since the start of the year Commander Mulligan says some 15 guns have been stolen from unlocked cars since the beginning of the year.
“The pace at which this is going people have just got to start locking their car doors.” Commander Mulligan says.
The sheriff's office says if you have any information related to the "car hoppers" you can contact Detective Della Porta at adellaporta@sjso.org.
