Thieves Hit Over a Dozen Cars at Mebane Tanger Outlets Overnight

More than a dozen vehicles had their windows smashed and contents stolen in the Tanger Outlets parking area off Arrowhead Boulevard in Mebane Saturday evening, when thieves riding in a stolen car entered the complex's rear employee parking lot around 7:30 p.m. The vehicle used in the spree had been reported stolen and flagged in the National Crime Information Center just one hour before the break-ins began, giving detectives an existing paper trail to anchor any footage that captures the car.

The operation extended beyond the outlets themselves. Police confirmed the same stolen vehicle hit cars in the Cracker Barrel parking lot nearby, spreading the smash-and-grab spree across two of the area's busiest commercial lots along the I-85/40 corridor. Victims in both locations reported property missing from inside their vehicles.

Mebane Police Department detectives are canvassing the area and reviewing footage from outlet store cameras, neighboring businesses, and private surveillance systems. Officers say investigators are already examining possible suspects, and arrest warrants could follow if footage review and witness accounts produce sufficient evidence to identify those responsible.

Police are asking anyone who was near either parking area Saturday evening to check dashcam recordings and review ring or doorbell camera footage for suspicious vehicle movements. Tips can be directed to the Mebane Police Department or through Alamance County Crime Stoppers.

Tanger Outlets Mebane, at 4000 Arrowhead Blvd., is one of the region's highest-traffic retail destinations, drawing shoppers from across the Triad and Research Triangle on peak weekends. The rear employee lot, where police say the stolen car first entered Saturday, is typically less trafficked after store hours, offering fewer natural witnesses. Detectives advise shoppers and workers to remove valuables from vehicles before parking and to report any unfamiliar cars circling either lot.