College Park Residents Sound Alarm Over Surge in Vehicle Break-Ins

Someone shattered a driver's side window in College Park Estates and made off with the airbag. For Maggie Padua's roommate, that was the wakeup call. For city leaders, it was one case among many.

College Park officials confirmed a rash of vehicle break-ins hitting the community, with the College Park Estates neighborhood among the areas affected. Padua, who lives there, said the pattern rattled her sense of the area's character.

"I am upset, and it is pretty concerning, especially because I consider this a calm and safe neighborhood," Padua said. "His driver's side window was shattered, and someone broke into his car and stole his airbag, and this is ridiculous."

Her roommate's car was one of many vehicles vandalized. The targets were not limited to a single block or a single type of theft. Karen Andrews, another College Park resident, said her car was also broken into, though at a different location than the Estates incidents.

"I think it is awful, and my car got broken into, not at this location, but this is disheartening," Andrews said. "You come out to your car vandalized to find your things are missing, and it makes no sense."

Andrews said she is now taking extra precautions and wants police to make arrests in the cases.

City of College Park officials responded by urging all residents to lock car doors and avoid leaving valuables inside their vehicles. The advisories signal the city is tracking the problem, though residents like Padua and Andrews are pressing for more than awareness campaigns.

The theft of airbags, a higher-value automotive component, points to at least some incidents being deliberate and targeted rather than opportunistic grab-and-go crimes, a distinction that raises questions about whether a coordinated effort is behind multiple incidents.