DAVIE, FLA. (WSVN) - Residents at a Davie community are upset and speaking out after, they said, burglars smashed their way into more than 40 cars over the weekend.
Samantha and Ovidiu Marton said they were supposed to spend their Sunday house-hunting and shopping, but they were in for a rude awakening.
The couple said crooks targeted Ovidiu’s beige Cadillac sedan and Samantha’s gray SUV, which were parked at their apartment complex along Poinciana Place, near Pine Ridge Drive and U.S. 595, early Sunday morning.
“We got woken up a little earlier than expected due to our car windows being smashed in, and then we didn’t have much time to clean up before the rain came in,” said Samantha.
“They literally tore this whole thing up,” said Ovidiu as he showed a 7News crew the damage to the car’s center console.
The break-ins left car windows shattered and debris strewn on the ground.
“It’s pretty upsetting on a Sunday morning to wake up and a bunch of, excuse my language, a bunch of little punks who have got nothing better to do,” said Ovidiu.
The Martons said they are not the only residents whose vehicles were targeted.
“These people don’t care about the consequences, what they did to people,” said Ovidiu.
Ernest Saunders, a maintenance worker at the complex, said he had to clean up all the glass.
“From that red truck all the way back to that blue SUV,” he said.
The couple said they don’t keep anything of value in their car. They’re happy with that decision, but that doesn’t make them any less frustrated.
“You know, it’s upsetting, man. It’s upsetting,” said Ovidiu. “They tore my whole inside, basically, in there, and her vehicle, we have like four or five other ones here and many others in this neighborhood over here, so we are pretty upset with them.”
Police said it’s unclear what the crooks were able to steal.
Monday afternoon, 7News cameras captured several cars with their shattered windows covered in plastic, as their owners make arrangements to have them repaired.
“I’ve never seen so many cars broken into,” said Saunders.
“I’m shocked and surprised. I couldn’t believe — I mean, I thought we lived in a nice, safe neighborhood,” said resident Plácida Lyn. “I’m so scared now to park my car here.”
The Martons said cars in Davie have been burglarized several times over the past few months.
“Every single night this happens in Broward County, and I’m sure other counties is the same thing, you know?” said Ovidiu.
Now Ovidiu is calling on town officials and authorities to take action, as well as the rest of the community.
“We’re outside with some of the neighbors here, and it’s getting to the point that we need to create a neighborhood watch,” said Ovidiu. “From what we hear, it’s like they break into cars and nothing happens to them, and they get like a slap on the wrist, and then their parents pick them up, and the next day they go and they do this again.”
The couple said they want members of the community to call police if they know anything that can help catch the crooks behind this string of burglaries.
“Everybody check your cameras. If you find anything, call the cops. Maybe we can find these people,” said Samantha.
“We would like neighbors in Davie, Florida, and all over South Florida, if you know who they are, we need to put a stop to this,” said Ovidiu.
The Martons said a neighbor told them she saw someone looking at the cars and taking pictures of them last week.
If you have any information on these vehicle burglaries, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
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