Police Warn of Series of Thefts

Police have connected more than a dozen cases involving the theft of heirloom silver and personal information and credit cards that have led to tens of thousands of dollars in losses for Coronado residents.

They are urging residents to lock doors and windows and be wary of solicitors who could be on the lookout for vulnerable homes, because in most of the cases there were no signs of forced entry.

Detectives linked the incidents earlier this month. In five separate cases, residents suffered losses of antique silverware, and in up to nine cases residents found that their credit or bank accounts had been breached.

Detective Angel Cedeno said within the last two weeks one of the victims who had lost valuable silver noticed that money was also missing from a bank account, leading investigators to begin connecting the crimes.

Police learned of the silver losses in July. The largest incident involved 150 pieces worth $28,000. The credit and bank card thefts were first reported nearly a year ago; one victim found that $60,000 had been removed from an account.

Most of the incidents occurred in the Village. One of the silver cases was in the Coronado Cays.

Police have few leads. Detective Tom Adkins said they have traced ATM withdrawals, mostly in the San Diego area, where the person is savvy enough to avoid the camera during the transactions.

“They're not leaving anything behind,” he said.

He said residents should be willing to call immediately if they see any unusual activity in their neighborhoods.

“We need people to call right away, and not a couple of hours later, because otherwise we have no chance,” Adkins said.