Vehicle break-ins on the rise in Northwest Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Northwest Fresno has seen a 31-percent increase in car burglaries this year.

Police say there have been many burglaries in front of shopping centers along Shaw Avenue, stretching the 2.5 from Blythe to West. But the criminals don't discriminate, including cars on side streets or in front of homes are also being hit.

Northwest Fresno resident Paul Gutierrez can relate. "I woke up to get ready for work, and I noticed there was glass in my driveway and I look and my glovebox was open," Gutierrez. And inside his glovebox, his wallet was gone. "So I don't have my ID, I don't have my social (security card), stuff I'm just trying to take care of still so I'm still paying for that and that was just two and a half months ago," Gutierrez said.

With so much missing from his wallet, he also worried his identity could be stolen. A detective in Fresno Police's Northwest district says that's a growing problem. If you leave your cell phone or laptop, there's no telling what identity thieves could get a hold of.

Gutierrez didn't call police after his car was broken into, but police say you should, because that way, they can map problem areas and start identifying trends and possibly catch someone in the act.