Police in both Southern Utah and Southern Nevada have seen an increase in vehicle burglaries as of late. While Utah authorities are still on the look-out, it appears that police in Mesquite, Nevada have a suspect.
30-year-old Mario Gaxiola of Las Vegas was caught in the act and detained by private citizens until Mesquite police arrived to make the arrest. Gaxiola was booked on three counts of auto burglary and other charges.
Meanwhile, law enforcement in Hurricane, Utah is urging residents to lock vehicles and bring valuables inside amid a spate of car burglaries there.
Police Chief Lynn Excell said, “The biggest problem in Hurricane is that people aren’t locking their vehicles and they’re leaving garage doors open or leaving things outside unsecured.”
Excell said that in each of the recent incidents no forced entry was used. Police are calling the cases “crimes of opportunity.”