CLEVELAND, Ohio — Residents in Ohio City and surrounding neighborhoods are once again on edge after a string of car break-ins early Tuesday morning, which left more than a dozen cars heavily damaged.
They're now demanding immediate action.
Cleveland Police confirm they are aware of the incidents, are actively investigating and say officers will continue patrols in the area.
Our Overnight News Tracker found several heavily damaged cars along Clinton Avenue, from West 29th Street to West 45th Street in Ohio City.
News 5 viewers told us they experienced similar car break-ins outside of their homes and apartments in Tremont and Battery Park.
We counted more than a dozen vehicles with smashed windows, ranging from Hyundais to BMWs.
All the cars were parked along Clinton Avenue.
"It’s bull s**t. I’m gonna put my house up for sale," said Jim Garmback of Ohio City.
Garmback, a long-time Ohio City resident, says this is the second time his windows have been smashed out in the last three months.
RELATED: Glass Everywhere: Ohio City residents demand action after car break-ins
It's happened to several of his cars in recent years.
“You wake up early for work, and both cars are broken into. Now you’ve got to call off, get repairs scheduled—it’s a mess," Garmback said.
Garmback says the damage is not only frustrating but costly.
In his case, suspects smashed out a rear window and then damaged the driver's side window, forcing him to replace multiple windows.
“What do they get out of your car? Nothing,” he said. “They’re just walking down the street breaking windows.”
Residents told News 5 that what’s especially puzzling is that nothing appears to be stolen from their cars.
Instead, crooks are seemingly focused on vandalizing and destroying property.
Some neighbors say they’ve resorted to leaving their car doors unlocked to avoid costly window repairs and even putting notes in the windows to say "doors are unlocked"—offering a free pass of sorts to the crooks.
“I’d rather someone open the door than break the window,” Gia Smith said.
As of Thursday afternoon, despite the widespread damage, a spokesperson with Cleveland Police said they had only received three completed reports of vehicle break-ins in Ohio City.
At this point, police have not released any suspect descriptions or confirmed whether the break-ins are connected.
Residents in Ohio City believe younger individuals may be responsible, but this has not been verified.
Cleveland Police told News 5, "We will continue to investigate these that have been reported, and any additional reports that may arise. As always we will continue to patrol our neighborhoods and encourage the public to contact us if they see anything that may be suspicious."
