Stolen Carrboro car found burned in Durham County is just the latest in recent trend

Early this month, a Carrboro resident’s car went missing from Camellia Street in Chapel Hill.

Carrboro Police Department was alerted to the stolen vehicle, and they found it — but when they did, it was totally burned and in Durham County.

Though Carrboro police say the incident was likely isolated, it is just one of many that has been reported recently in the Chapel Hill.

Chapel Hill Police Department recently sent out a press release stating that the town has seen several vehicle thefts since the beginning of the year.

Based on the release and online records since, 13 vehicles have been reported stolen since January.

At least eight of the stolen vehicles were Toyota models from 1998 to 2002, the release stated.

Although it is unclear whether these incidents are related, the police department warned vehicle owners to take precautions to reduce their risk of car theft.

Preventive measures include closing car windows and the sunroof and parking the vehicle on a well-lit street and in a well-traveled place.

Police also urge people not to leave documents containing names and addresses, social security number or other personal information in the vehicle.

Carrboro Police Capt. Walter Horton said the Carrboro incident — which was reported April 5 — is likely a stand-alone case.

“Car theft is not a big problem in Carrboro right now,” he said.
But he also said the incident is still under investigation and has no leads.

Freshman Joey Dragonette said while he had not realized that Chapel Hill police are on alert for car theft, the fact worries him.

Dragonette parks at the Newman Catholic Center, located on Pittsboro Street near campus.

“The car thefts make me a little nervous,” he said.

“I feel more unsafe than I did before I knew this was happening.”

UNC student Lauren Hamlett said she also parks near campus in the Granville parking lot.

She said she was not aware of the specific car thefts in Chapel Hill, but she was not surprised by them.

She said these incidents do not make her particularly anxious because she knew there were inherent risks when she brought her car to campus.

But she said she still takes cautionary measures to keep her car safe.

“I triple check that all the doors are locked and that anything that seems valuable is hidden from sight before I leave my car,” she said.

Although Dragonette said he always locks the doors and keeps valuables hidden, he worries it might not be enough.

“I might need to take some extra precautions now,” he said.

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