The following is a press release that the MBPD is issuing today regarding the theft of the third row seats from SUVs. They emphasize the importance of marking your seats permanently to make identification easier when the seats are recovered. Please pass this important information on.

The Manhattan Beach Police Department is investigating a series of vehicle burglaries that began in June 2005. The suspects are targeting Sport Utility Vehicles, stealing third row seats. Since June 01, 2005 the suspects have stolen third row seats from 16 vehicles throughout the City, and approximately 20 since January 2005.

South Bay police agencies are investigating approximately 60 reported thefts of third row seats since January 2005.

The Manhattan Beach Police Department is recommending the public take extra precautions in securing their SUVs in light of these thefts. The police department also recommends that SUV owners etch a number that is unique to them somewhere on the frame of their third row seats. Mark you seats permanently in a place that is readily visible and difficult to remove. This will aid the police in returning the seats if they are stolen and later recovered by police.

The Manhattan Beach Police Department is working with other South Bay Police agencies on this investigation. We are following up on known leads at this time.

If you have any information regarding these burglaries, please contact Detective Crossett or Detective Capparilli at 310-802-5128 or 310-802-5125.

07/20/05 – 07/21/05 11:30 p.m. – 8 a.m. 1500 block of Marine Avenue

(Vehicle Burglary) Victim’s vehicle was parked and locked on the street in front of his residence. The next morning he noticed all four doors ajar and the third row seat missing. Unknown suspect(s) had removed the keyhole from the front driver side door with an unknown tool. Four sets of wireless headphones were also taken from the vehicle.

Area 3

07/20/05 – 07/21/05 7:45 p.m. – 8:15 a.m. 2400 block of Elm Avenue

(Vehicle Burglary) Victim parked and locked her vehicle in the driveway in front of the residence. She returned to discover the left driver’s door handle had been pried open by unknown suspect(s) with an unknown tool and the third row seat was missing.

Please pass on this information to everyone you know that has an SUV and remind them of some of the ways they might be able to prevent becoming a victim. In addition to locking the car in the garage, backing up to the garage in order to restrict access to the rear doors, parking cars back to back or parking in a well lighted area, we offer one more idea. If you are not regularly using the third row seat, remove them from your vehicle before somebody else helps themselves to it. And as always, if you see anything suspicious, please call 911 immediately.

Here are the latest crime reports involving smashed rear windows on large vehicles. Maybe an attempt to take the third row seat??????

Area 3

07/22/05 9:30 p.m. – 11:40 p.m. 800 block of 17th Street

(Attempted Vehicle Theft) Victim’s vehicle was parked but not locked on the street across from her residence when unknown suspect(s) attempted to pry open the rear window. The window frame was severely bent and the window was smashed, but nothing was missing from the vehicle including the third row seat.

Area 9

07/22/05 – 07/23/05 9 p.m. – 8:45 a.m. 2800 block of Pacific Avenue

(Vehicle Vandalism) Victim’s vehicle was parked and locked in front of his house on the street. Unknown suspect(s) smashed the rear hatch window with an unknown object, but nothing was missing from the vehicle.

Area 9

07/22/05 10 p.m. – 11. p.m. 3300 block of Pacific Avenue

(Vehicle Vandalism) Victim’s vehicle was parked and locked in front of his house when unknown suspect(s) smashed the rear window with a golf ball that was found inside the vehicle. Nothing was missing from the vehicle.

Here are the numerous reports about vehicle windows being smashed by an unknown object or broken by what appears to be a BB. All happened sometime between Sunday evening and Monday morning of this week. The facts are a little different in some of them, so I am writing them all up. Nothing was taken from any of the vehicles. Please pass this information on to everyone you know so we can help put an end to this.

Area 2

08/21/05 – 08/22/05 10:30 p.m. – 8 a.m. 900 block of Peck Avenue

(Vehicle Vandalism) Victim’s vehicle was parked and locked in the driveway when unknown suspect(s) used an unknown object/tool to smash the rear window.

Area 2

08/21/05 – 08/22/05 11 p.m. – 7:10 a.m. Peck Avenue & 10th Street

(Vehicle Vandalism) Unknown suspect(s) smashed out the rear driver’s side window on the victim’s locked vehicle which was parked on the street.

Area 2

08/22/05 1 a.m. – 8 a.m. 1500 block of 10th Street

(Vehicle Vandalism) Victim’s vehicle was parked and locked in the driveway when unknown suspect(s) smashed out the rear window with a blunt object.

Area 3

08/21/05 – 08/22/05 8:30 p.m. – 11:46 a.m. 13th & Laurel Avenue

(Vehicle Vandalism) Victim’s vehicle was parked and locked on the street when unknown suspect(s) smashed the rear window, possibly with a BB.

Area 3

08/21/05 – 08/22/05 9 p.m. – 7:15 a.m. 600 block of 13th Street

(Vehicle Vandalism) Victim’s vehicle was parked and locked on the street when unknown suspect(s) smashed the driver’s door window with an unknown object.

Area 3

08/21/05 – 08/22/05 5 p.m. – 9:54 a.m. 1900 block of Ardmore Avenue

(Vehicle Vandalism) Unknown suspect(s) smashed the rear driver’s side window on the vehicle, which was parked in front of the residence, with an unknown object.

Area 3

08/21/05 – 08/22/05 2 p.m. – 9 a.m. 2200 block of Ardmore Avenue

(Vehicle Vandalism) Victim’s vehicle was parked and locked in front of the residence when unknown suspect(s) smashed the driver’s side window.

Area 8

08/21/05 – 08/22/05 2 p.m. – 7 a.m. 200 block of S. Redondo Ave.

(Vehicle Vandalism) Victim’s vehicle was parked and locked on the street near his residence. Unknown suspect(s) smashed the rear driver’s side window with an object, possibly a BB.

Area 8

08/21/05 – 08/22/05 4 p.m. – 6 a.m. 100 block of N. Redondo Ave.

(Vehicle Vandalism) Unknown suspect(s) smashed the front driver’s side window with possibly a BB. The vehicle was parked and locked on the street near the residence.

Area 3

08/17/05 – 08/18/05 8 p.m. – 5 p.m. 600 block of 19th Street

(Vehicle Burglary) Victim’s vehicle was parked in front of the residence, but unlocked. When victim returned to her car she noticed a bag that attaches to the center console containing several CDs, a cell phone and 2 garage openers was missing.

No suspects were seen or heard.

Area 3

08/18/05 – 08/19/05 3:30 p.m. – 5:25 a.m. 900 block of 27th Street

(Vehicle Burglary) Victim parked and locked her vehicle in front of her residence. Unknown suspect(s) pried open the driver’s side window and removed the face plate of the stereo.

Area 5

08/12/05 – 08/16/05 6:30 p.m. – 8 a.m. 200 block of 15th Place