The Barnetts’ red golf cart was a common sight.

The cart could often be seen in the Barnetts’ Preston Hollow neighborhood, puttering around nearby streets and to neighbors’ homes.

That changed Jan. 17 when a small mistake led to the burglary of their home. On Friday afternoon, Tracy Barnett brought her son home after school. Thinking she would soon take him to a friend’s home, she left her car unlocked in the driveway. Her husband drove her son instead, and her unlocked door completely slipped her mind.

Sometime after midnight, a burglar retrieved her garage door opener from her vehicle and stole their 1995 Club Cart golf cart and charger, a total value of $2,700.

“It was just the perfect storm,” Barnett says. “At first, we thought they knew what they were going to take, but we don’t know for sure. I don’t know how they got it out of the neighborhood. You can’t drive it too far without being seen.”
The Barnetts hope it may still turn up, and have given the serial number to area cart dealers. While Tracy says the loss is not huge, the burglary was eye-opening for the family.

“It’s the feeling of them coming in and being one door away from being inside your home. That’s a creepy feeling,” she says. “One lesson I’ve learned is that had I not left the car door open, I would continue to be lulled into a false sense of security. It was just a big wake-up call.”

The Barnetts have made some changes following the crime, including reprogramming their garage door openers on keychain devices and never again leaving car doors unlocked.

Dallas Police Lt. Barry Payne says golf carts are not major targets for thieves because of their visibility and limited resale market.

“In this particular case, I suspect the cart was taken because that is what they found when the door opened. Many burglars are opportunistic and they take what they find rather than targeting particular items,” Payne says. “My best guess is that they drove it away. If they were going to try to resell it, they would have to stash it somewhere until they could find a way to haul it.”

Payne says the best prevention is to remove garage door openers when parking your car, and possibly have a garage door or car alarm.