Friendswood neighborhood on edge after rash of car break-ins

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas – When you picture someone breaking into your car, you probably picture someone smashing out the window or trying to jimmy open the door locks with a screw driver.

But this Thanksgiving, in the Friendswood neighborhood of Heritage Park, hundreds of families are on edge and fearing what the morning will bring, following a rash of car thefts and break-ins where the car thieves are using a much more basic approach.

The crew of thieves have been caught on tape simply walking up to dozens of cars and trucks and checking for unlocked doors.

If there is a door or window open, the thieves strike and ransack the vehicle for anything of value or steal it outright.

"There's three of these guys," said Dustin Stookey. "They spread out like ants and one goes straight to my car and the other guys go to other cars in the neighborhood to start pulling door handles. It's crazy."

Even the simple joy of celebrating Thanksgiving has been spoiled for Stookey and his wife. In less than one week, they have had one car stolen and their pickup truck, a Chevy  Silverado Texas Edition, broken into and torn apart.

"We honestly feel like we are being targeted," he said.

Now neighbors in the quiet, upscale, rural neighborhood are saying they want and need regular police patrols every night to keep the brazen thieves away.

Neighbors report having shotguns, handguns, cellphones and more stolen from their vehicles. They also report finding their cars and trucks torn apart when they wake up in the morning.

Daniel Guerra had his pickup truck stolen and worries about the safety of his six kids.

"What bothers me the most is that some kid, standing on the corner, early in the morning. He is standing there and some guy who is stealing a car runs him down, trying to escape with the stolen car, while that kid is just waiting on the bus. That’s a real problem," Guerra said.

As it stands, many of the people in Heritage Park said they don't know what to expect Friday. Will their car be torn apart, ransacked or simply gone altogether?