Burglars appear to be aiming at guns left behind by their owners inside vehicles.
At least one victim of a break-in either late Sunday or early Monday at a Northwest side apartment complex says he had his weapon stolen from the center console.
“They only took my gun. That was about it. Nothing else was touched. Just that,” said Agustin Martinez.
He discovered the crime when he went to check on something inside his pickup truck.
The burglars popped out the back passenger window practically in one piece, then got inside the truck and rifled through his belongings.
Martinez was more stunned by the valuables the criminals left behind, including an expensive pair of sunglasses.
Luis Servin, who also lives at the Village of Hampton Cove apartments, had nearly the same experience minus the gun.
Still, he believes that is what the burglars were looking for when they broke his window.
“My wallet was there. They didn’t take it,” Servin said. “They just broke the window, got inside, started looking for, I don’t know, I guess some guns.”
San Antonio police officers who responded to other recent car burglaries told KSAT 12 News that there appears to be a trend involving criminals on the hunt for guns.
One officer said pickups are often targeted because the burglars believe their owners are more likely to be carrying guns.
KSAT 12 News reached out to SAPD Monday morning for an official statement on the issue.
A spokesperson said she was working on a statement.
Martinez admitted to accidentally leaving his gun in his car after a night out.
“Left it there. Forgot about it,” he said.
The theft, he said, amounts to a lesson learned.
For Servin, it feels more like an unnecessary cost.
The burglars left empty-handed after breaking into his truck but left him holding the bill for repairs.
“My deductible is expensive, like $1,500, for this glass,” Servin said.
Both men said they hope others will avoid leaving guns in their vehicles.
