Unlocked cars + gun, cash = Bluffton break-in spree

Several hundred dollars and a handgun have been stolen in a series of recent car break-ins in neighborhoods off Alljoy Road in Bluffton, according to Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office reports released Friday.

The four thefts — which reports indicate could be related — occurred late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

In each instance, the vehicles’ owners told deputies that they likely left their doors unlocked.

In once case, a victim’s home security camera caught the suspect in the act, according to a Sheriff’s Office report.

A deputy viewed the footage and described the suspect as a roughly 6-foot-tall black male with a medium build, short hair and wearing a white t-shirt, the report said.

In the video, a man approaches and opens the unlocked passenger side door before he opens the center console, where a revolver was stored, according to the report.

The man is seen pocketing the gun before continuing to search console, the report said.

The video then shows the man rummaging through a purse on the passenger seat of the victim’s vehicle, according to the report. The victim told police $400 was missing from the purse.

“The male concludes searching the vehicle by removing a towel from his pocket and wiping down several surfaces within the vehicle,” the report said. “The male exits the vehicle, gently closes the passenger door, and finished by shouldering it all the way closed.”

Smaller sums — less than $100 — were reported stolen from the other vehicles.

This story was originally published July 21, 2017 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Unlocked cars + gun, cash = Bluffton break-in spree."