ORLANDO, Fla. – At least a half-dozen cars have been burglarized in the Preserve subdivision near Econ Trail, and neighbors believe a group of professional thieves is responsible.
"These guys are not amateurs. They're not kids stealing sunglasses and GPS's. They're felons," said Jason Alday, whose home surveillance cameras captured video of the thieves parking their car, getting out and casually walking around the neighborhood.
Another camera outside the front entrance shows the thieves drive up in a Ford Escape. According to homeowners, when deputies ran the license plate, they discovered the car was stolen.
Video shows the thieves forcing their way through the front gate and entering the community. Once inside, they broke into several cars and stole valuables.
"When we opened the trunk, we noticed the battery charger was gone and also the GPS," said Pete Correa.
The next morning, Correa and his wife discovered both cars had been ransacked.
"They were locked. They were both locked. They're always locked," said Milagros Correa.
Another camera captured a thief unsuccessfully trying to break into Ed Faath's truck.
"He couldn't unlock the door, so he went around the back and was looking in the back of the truck with a flashlight to try to find something to take," said Faath.
Homeowners are unsure just how many thefts have taken place since some of the victims have not filed police reports.