JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Residents in the Avondale, Fairfax and Riverside neighborhoods said Wednesday they're being targeted in the middle of night by people trying to break into cars.
Barbara Hitell, a Fairfax resident, said she got surveillance footage of two men outside her home.
"Two guys creeping across my front lawn, running over to my cars. Each of them walked up to one of the cars ... then they creep over the next house -- they were hitting every house on the street," Hitell said.
Hitell lives on Shirley Avenue. She said her surveillance cameras have twice caught people targeting her cars within two weeks.
"We put in motion lights. We have cameras. We have dogs. We have 'beware of dog' signs. We lock our doors. Still they're going to try," Hitell said. "I don't know what else to do."
News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson explained how to avoid being targeted.
"It's locked, however, there's a duffel bag inside, visible. Just take the time and put it in the trunk and get it out of sight."
Jefferson said anything left in plain sight could make someone a target. Don't leave anything visible in the car, including bags or purses, and don't forget to lock up after getting out of the car.
According to Jefferson, many stolen items rarely get returned and often are sold on the black market.