Coweta Police Step Up Patrols With Recent Uptick In Robberies

Coweta police arrested two men they say are responsible for a string of car burglaries. Police say all the thefts were crimes of opportunity.

We hear it all the time - lock your doors and keep your garage closed. In a two-day span, police say two men took advantage of people who didn't take that advice. Now, police are stepping up patrols.

Officers say Jonathan Howard and Tyler Essray burglarized six to 10 cars and garages in just 48 hours. They say they took credit cards, gift cards, an air compressor, prescription bills, a floor jack and more.

"Please lock your car doors at night time,” Chief Mike Bell said. “One of the things stolen was a 38 special."

Bell said the majority of the crimes happened in a neighborhood near 300th Avenue and 143rd Street South around 4:00 Monday morning - that's also where police found them.

"When the officers asked them to stop so they could talk to them, they took off running," Bell said.

Police said there's typically not much crime, but, for some reason, there's been an uptick.

Officers are increasing neighborhood patrols, which makes Michelle Srencho happy. She's had several items stolen from her property.

"We would just like our stuff back I don't want my kids to live in fear now they hide their stuff," Srencho said.

She said the crooks tried to steal her boat and trailer.

"These chains were all undone the pin was ripped out the cords all of it," she said.

Ultimately they stole $300 worth of fishing equipment, a bike and two chained up four wheelers.

Srencho said, "Whenever we got here it was out here it was out in the driveway."

Based on the difference in location, police don't think the crimes are related but said this is just the start of a potentially long investigation.

Both men bonded out of jail but police rearrested one of them when they spotted a stolen chainsaw in his yard.