Dacula Police Blotter

Trip to Driving Range Ends in Car Break-in, Gun Theft

Incident occurred while the gun owner visited the Hamilton Mill Golf Club.

A Dacula man locked his car doors, but that wasn't enough to keep a thief from breaking into his sport utility vehicle. The April 16 incident occurred at the Hamilton Mill Golf Club. The Dacula man told police he parked his vehicle in the corner of the parking lot close to Hamilton Mill Parkway at approximately 11 a.m. According to the police report, when the man left his vehicle to head to the driving range, there were no other cars nearby. After hitting golf balls, the man returned to his vehicle, retrieved his iPad but left a backpack containing a gun and other items in the SUV. After eating lunch at the clubhouse, the man returned to his vehicle to find the backpack and gun missing. The officer located pry marks around the window frame…

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Dacula Police Blotter

Thief Crawls Under Partially Open Garage Door, Steals Item out of Unlocked Car

A car parked in the driveway was also entered.

Over $600 in property was stolen when a thief struck at an Apalachee Farms home. During the overnight hours of March 2, a thief entered a vehicle parked in the driveway of a Pathview Court home and stole a Lenova laptop valued at $500 and a cell phone charger. The vehicle owner told police her car was unlocked at the time of the theft. The thief also crawled under the partially open garage door of the residence, entered a vehicle parked inside the garage and took a GPS unit valued at $100. The resident said the garage door had been left partially open to allow their dog to go outside. The vehicle parked inside the garage had also been left unlocked. Both cases are listed as active. You might also be interested in reading:

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Dacula Police Blotter

Car Break-ins Reported at Mill Creek High School, Hamilton Mill Tennis Courts and Little Mulberry Park

A handgun, iPad and laptop among the items taken.

Gwinnett County Police are investigating several recent car break-ins, including two in which the locks on Ford vehicles had been defeated. On Feb. 16, a Hoschton couple discovered their 2004 Ford Expedition had been entered while they visited Little Mulberry Park. According to the police report, the door handle was damaged and the assembly partially removed from the door. The man's wallet, which contained credit cards, identification and cash, was taken. Another Ford Expedition was broken into on Feb. 14 in the Hamilton Mill subdivision while the driver played tennis. According to the report, the door lock had been pried open. Nothing was reported missing. The Expedition was one of two vehicles broken into at the tennis center that day. …

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Two Pistols, Aviation Radio Among Items Stolen During Movie Theater Car Break-ins

Both vehicles were Ford F150s.

A Jan. 26 trip to the movies proved to be very costly for two Ford truck owners. A Sea Island, Ga. man told police he parked his 2006 Ford F150 at the Regal Hamilton Mill Stadium 14 theater at approximately 1:15 p.m. When he returned to his vehicle two hours later, he noticed the driver’s side door lock had been punched out. Several items were missing from the vehicle including a pearl handled Remington pistol, a Baretta 9mm pistol, an aviation handheld radio, an iPod, an iPad, a flight headset, a flight bag and other items. During the same time period, a 2008 Ford F150 that was parked across the aisle from the Sea Island man’s truck was also entered. The owner, a Lawrenceville man, advised that the lock on the driver’s side door of his …

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GCPD Searching for Suspect in 21 Car Break-ins

Anyone recognizing this suspect or his vehicle is asked to call GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300 or Crime Stoppers at 404-557-TIPS (8477).

Gwinnett County Police believe one man may be responsible for a string of car break-ins that began in October 2012 and have continued into 2013. Detectives have connected a total of 21 cases to the same suspect, according to GCPD public information officer Cpl. Jake Smith. Typically the suspect targets vehicles in parks and churches, Smith added. The suspect is described as a black male of average height and build who appears to be in his 30s or 40s (see photo). He has been seen using an older model white pickup truck and a four-door passenger car of unknown color. He has used the victim's credit and debit cards at various retail locations following the break-ins. Anyone recognizing this suspect or his vehicle is asked to call GCPD …

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Dozens of Cars Broken Into Since Jan. 1, Primary Items Taken Were Handguns and Electronics

Several involved pickup trucks and small SUVs in which the locks were broken, including one this past weekend at the Hamilton Mill 14 in Dacula.

Since Jan. 1, dozens of vehicles have been broken into in the northeast part of the county. In the Gwinnett County Police Department's North Precinct, which covers a portion of the Hamilton Mill area of Dacula as well as Buford, Sugar Hill, Rest Haven and unincorporated parts of Lawrenceville and Suwanee (see map), a total of 47 car break-ins have been reported since Jan. 1 according to precinct commander Maj. John Strickland. "[The] entering autos were a combination of both forced and non-forced," Strickland wrote in an email to Patch. "Several were pick-up trucks and SUVs in which the door locks were broken." In those instances, Strickland explained, the suspects punched a small hole into the door near the lock and were subsequently able…

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More Ford Trucks Targeted in Mall of Georgia Area Car Break-ins

The Jan. 19 break-ins are the latest in a series of incidents in which thieves have punched or pried locks on Ford F150s and Ford F250s.

BUFORD, Ga. - More Ford trucks were targeted by a thief or thieves last weekend in the Mall of Georgia area. Gwinnett County Police responded to four car break-ins on Jan. 19 -- two on Mall of Georgia Boulevard and two on Buford Drive. The incidents are the latest in a string of January car break-ins in which the locks on Ford F150s and Ford 250s have been pried or punched. According to Major John Strickland, GCPD North Precinct Commander, the department is closely monitoring the recent entering autos. "We are working closely with the Mall of Georgia Security and have increased patrols," Strickland wrote in an email to Patch. "This includes patrols in marked patrol cars, unmarked cars, foot patrols, and bicycle patrol on all three shifts. …

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Dacula Police Blotter

Vehicle Damaged During Hamilton Mill Car Break-in Attempt

Perpetrator was unsuccessful in attempt to gain access to the locked car.

A Hamilton Mill resident called police on Jan. 13 after discovering her vehicle had been damaged during an attempted car break-in. The Hillgrove Drive resident told police she parked her vehicle in her driveway at approximately 5 p.m. on Jan. 12. When she returned to her vehicle the next morning, she noticed the door handle was hanging down on the side of the door and the lock was also hanging outside the door. The vehicle, a 2011 Honda Accord, was still locked. There were no items missing from the vehicle and no other damage. The case is listed as active. Have you ever been the victim of a car break-in or an attempted car break-in? Was your car damaged in the process? Let us know in the comments. You might also be interested in reading:

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Dacula Police Blotter

Locked Trailer, Unlocked Car Targeted by Thieves

One of the incidents was captured on video surveillance.

Locks were not enough to prevent the Christmas Eve theft of a trailer parked behind Dos Copas. Less than a minute after the last employee left for the night on Dec. 24, video surveillance shows a two-door passenger car park behind Dos Copas. Two males exit the vehicle and cut a lock off one of the trailers in the parking lot. According to the Gwinnett County Police incident report, the males enter the trailer and then exit. The males then go to another trailer and begin cutting off the locks. One of the males then backs his car up to the trailer. The two men attach the trailer to their vehicle and drive away. The investigating officer located several of the cut padlocks in the parking lot and secured them as evidence. The report did not …

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Dacula Police Blotter

Keypad Pried off Car Door at Park, Two Guns Stolen

Purse, wallet, phone and other items also taken

A thief or thieves stole two guns and numerous other items during a Nov. 11 car break-in at Little Mulberry Park. According to the Gwinnett County Police report, the thief or thieves pried a security keypad off the driver’s side door of a 2008 Ford F-150 to gain access to the interior of the vehicle. A Glock 17 9mm pistol, a Beretta 96 .40 caliber pistol, a purse, wallet, cell phone, identification and a credit card were stolen. The victims told police they had parked the vehicle in the equestrian lot of Little Mulberry Park at approximately 3 p.m. When they returned to their vehicle two hours later, they discovered the damage and the theft. There are no known witnesses. The case is listed as active. Other recent incidents investigated by …

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