Police issued a warning for car owners Friday after more than 40 car burglaries were reported in just two weeks in La Mesa.
Police said they have seen a 57 percent increase from normal statistics for the first have of October. In September, they had 91 reports of car burglaries.
According to police, most thefts involved electronic items left visible in cars across La Mesa and Eastridge Hill. iPods, GPS devices, cameras, laptops cell phones and cash have all been reported stolen. Most often the thieves break windows or door locks to gain entry, police said.
Police believe the burglars are working in groups of two at night and the early morning hours between midnight and 5 a.m.
Suspicious activity should be reported to La Mesa police or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-TIPS.