JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police are looking for a group of people who ransacked and burglarized over 40 cars at a Jacksonville hotel on the Southside.
It happened Thursday morning at the Courtyard Marriott just outside Baptist South on St. Augustine Road.
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Among the items stolen, two rifles belonging to Florida Fish and Wildlife and a handgun belonging to a hotel guest, police reports stated.
The owner of the handgun didn’t want to say much only that he was surprised and has not heard anything since it was reported to police. There were tools and clothing stolen from other cars.
News4Jax Crime and Safety Analyst Gil Smith said he was surprised no one heard anything, but that the crooks were looking for the perfect opportunity.
“They just try to find locations where there were cars and not a lot of security where people are not watching,” Smith said.
Smith said another concern is this is not a high crime area, but these crooks went there knowing the cars might be easy targets.
According to police reports nobody indicated they heard anything when the 44 cars were broken into and vandalized.
The damage has all been cleaned up. Most of the cars were rentals belonging to one company.
The hotel did not want to comment on the burglaries. When News4Jax contacted Fish and Wildlife to find out why they would keep rifles in an unattended car overnight, the spokesman was not aware of it and is checking into it now.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is investigating.