Cobb County police increasing patrols following rash of car break-ins

COBB COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Cobb County police are increasing patrols and are calling on the community at a meeting after a spike in car break-ins Thieves Cobb County are after guns, money, and electronics, and they're not afraid to use force against anyone who gets in their way.

Jacob Anderson said he caught someone going through his car and went after him. Anderson chased the man through a nearby subdivision.

"I'm on the phone with dispatch, I stop to turn around and I hear ‘Pop! Pop! Pop!’" said Anderson.

The stranger shot at Anderson. One of the bullets ricocheted off his car and hit him in the eye.

"Not something you'd expect in West Cobb, this isn't the kind of community things like that happen," said Anderson.

But police said it is happening at an alarming rate. The number of entering autos has spiked in West Cobb in the past few months. Police have added patrols and called a community meeting Wednesday night. Residents packed McEachern United Methodist Church to get more information about the crimes.

Cobb County Police Chief Tim Cox said they've made some arrests, including two overnight.

"These are not neighborhood kids out roaming the neighborhood in the middle of the night, these are serious individuals that commit serious crimes," said Chief Cox.

Police said they're looking for money, untraceable items like jewelry and expensive sunglasses, and guns.

"Over the course of these entering autos we've probably had 30 guns stolen," said Major Steve Kucynda.

Police urged residents to clean out their cars and lock their doors. They told everyone to call 911 if they see anything suspicious. Officers also talked a lot about the importance of home surveillance systems and how they've helped in a number of investigations.

Police said it was an alert neighbor who helped them catch two suspects early Wednesday morning breaking into vehicles in a neighborhood off County Line Road off Benbrooke Drive overnight.

Officer Sydney Melton said, “Overnight we had a resident in the West Cobb area call and notify us about some suspicious activity in the neighborhood in reference to some entering autos. That prompted police to respond and there was a search.”

Police apprehended the suspect and took him into custody. Five hours later they caught a second suspect.

It's early in the investigation and police can’t say if the suspects are tied to the recent rash of car break-ins in West Cobb.

%INLINE%