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Last Tuesday, a suspect accused of burglarizing vehicles among other crimes at Preston Royal Village shopping center was apprehended by the North Central Deployment/CRT unit.
But business owners and city officials are reminding residents to remain vigilant.
North Central investigative detectives arrested a person on a burglary of motor vehicle (BMV) charge, interviewed the suspect and will be filling additional warrants including theft, credit card abuse and evading arrest detention. The suspect was arrested on a BMV warrant but was released the following morning after meeting the requirements for bond, according to a public Nextdoor.com post by Dallas City Council member Gay Donnell Willis.
“I know that apprehending this suspect didn’t happen as fast as we would have all liked,” Willis noted. “But the [detectives’] diligent and vigilant investigative work caught this criminal. Thank you to those who made reports with incidents, identifying tips, etc. DPD can’t do it without you.”
She also expressed disappointment that the suspect was released, “but there is a lawful process to follow,” she said.
Robberies, break-ins and thefts in this neighborhood has been a problem for at least the past year, business owners report.
At the beginning of last year, several businesses at Preston Royal were victims of smash-and-grab robberies.
Shop owners are urging shoppers to be mindful of what they leave in their cars and to watch their surroundings.
Kory Helfman, owner of Ken’s Man’s Shop in Preston Royal Village, who was a victim of one of those 2022 robberies, said he is aware of the rise in robberies and burglaries in his and nearby parking lots.
He said he has heard about shoppers being held up or cars being broken into, especially around holidays and busy shopping days.
“We don’t wish to scare people away from Preston Royal Village with this news, but we do want them to be aware of what they leave in the seats of their cars,” he said. “A purse, shopping bags, iPad — even if only for a couple of minutes while they run into one of the shops is enough time for the smash-the-window-and-grab scenario to play out. We just want people to be aware and diligent.”
