ORLANDO, Fla. – The UCF Police are now on the search for the four suspects who were responsible for the series of vehicle break-ins Monday night near the Lake Claire Apartments.

Suspects broke windows and stole some items from 36 cars parked near the Lake Claire Apartments and another 3 cars at the Greek houses at the UCF campus. Some items were stolen from the three unlocked vehicles.

According to the report released, a passerby witnessed the burglary in progress at around 2:50 in the morning and alerted the UCF Police Department. The said suspects fled from the police using a car that was allegedly stolen from Orange County. Reports said that the car crashed near Rouse Road where the suspects then ran from the scene.

From the available surveillance video, police said that the burglars stopped by Fairfield Inn and Suites that is located at Rouse Road and University Boulevard. At the Lake Claire Apartments, the police recovered multiple tools that are believed to be what the suspects used during the vehicle break-ins.

Monday night’s vehicle break-ins are believed to be connected to some similar crimes in places in Central Florida. This includes the burglaries that happened near the Florida Hospital in Orlando and the one at the Altamonte Springs.

Courtney Gilmartin, the UCP Police spokesperson said that it is still early to conclude the link between UCF vehicle break-ins and the same crimes elsewhere but she also added that the nature of the crimes is similar for certain.

KeriAnne Love, a Lake Claire Apartments resident and UCF senior, awoke and found her 2000 Honda Accord with the driver’s seat window shattered. She said that her roommate received a call about the break-in from the UCFPD, so she then ran outside and found her car.

Love said that a flashlight and some ‘knick knack type item’ were stolen by the burglars from her car. Her car was vacuumed after the UCF Police searched for some fingerprints.

Chief Richard Berry of the UCF Police Department said that these people – the suspects of the burglary, came with one purpose which is to break into and steal from vehicles. Chief Berry also said that there was absolutely nothing that the UCF students could have done to prevent the break-in from happening. The crime suspects broke into random vehicles, locked or unlocked, and with or without any valuables left inside the car.

It was also in the surveillance video that the UCF Police found that there were four people who worked together in doing the break-ins.