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Pima County is experiencing a rash of smash and grabs and other thefts at trailheads.

They have happened at the following Trailheads that I know about:

Sombrero Peak TH, AKA Scenic DR TH
Dove MT Resort TH for the Tortolitas
Sweet Water Trail TH for Wasson Peak. Official Name is something Spanish, but this is the trailhead I frequently hike Wasson Peak from.
Reports of East Side National Park THs

Time is broad daylight, 9:30 AM to whenever. Do not park at Trailheads without security in Pima County. I would not park at ANY County run TH until further notice. What is security? Not the Sombrero Peak TH, or Sweet Water TH, for sure. Take all valuables out of the car, if you do.

https://www.newskudo.com/arizona/tucson ... -break-ins
https://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/p ... -break-ins

I am often the only car at a trailhead when I leave.

A SUSPECT:
My car was smashed into today.

I left the Trailhead at 9:30 AM AZT, checking my watch right as I left my car. I always do this when I head out for Sombrero.

By 10:33 AM, as reported by USAA occurring at 1233 Central Daylight Time, the criminals were attempting to make fraud charges at Frys Grocery Store 3 to 4 miles away at SilverBell and Cortaro. They then made a 3rd attempt at Sally's Beauty in the Walmart Plaza off Cortaro. Sally's states the transaction was canceled after the card failed to transact at 1245.

Sally's employees described the criminal as Hispanic, average Build and wearing a Harley Style Mask. Mask for Covid enable crime, so thanks!

I do not know where the criminal came from. Based on the times for when the transactions were attempted and distances from the TH tell me that they broke in some time from 09:35 to probably 10:15 or so, maybe 10:20.

A man on a Harley style motor cycle was at the TH when I was, and I am very suspicious of him. He left right before me, hiking trail and and turned left at the first junction. He was alone, dressed in dark pants, dark shirt which I remember as long sleeved, and had a light beard, and sunglasses. He also had a military Camo-print back pack. For temps as hot as they were, he was not dressed the way I would expect. Marana PD may be able to pull Fry's and Sally security video, but the criminal had a mask on at Sallys. I am sure he did at Fry's.

I had nothing valuable visible in my car. My metal bottle was off to the side and not visible from outside, but it was left behind. My spare sneakers and sandles were in back, as was a straw hat. My open wood box of about 40 CDs was behind my seat, and it was left. The only valuables were what was taken, which was locked in my glove box, not in plain sight at all. My car still would have been smashed and my center console torn apart, and glove box torn apart exactly the same. It is a fallacy to suggest that simple precautions would have prevented that.

This has been an issue for years and years in Pima County, based on posts in the local trail running groups. I think it's a bit extreme to say avoid parking at these THs altogether, as the likelihood you'll get broken into is still pretty low, even at the THs with a reputation for break-ins (like Douglas Springs).

I've personally never had a break-in, but I do follow these simple rules:
* Do not leave anything valuable, or valuable-looking, or which could lead someone to believe there is something valuable, in plain site. You can't have a smash-and-grab without something to grab. The vast majority of people I've heard of who reported a break-in had something in plain site.
* If there is anything you absolutely can't afford to lose, or would be a massive inconvenience to lose, either carry it with you on the trail, or leave it at home.
* Anything you can afford to lose, but you would prefer not to, should be locked in the trunk.
* You should assume that anything left in your car might not be there when you get back, regardless of which TH you're parked at.

Add Pima Canyon to the list as well.

My brother is a local sheriff's deputy and they are starting to see crime in places that used to be well insulated. Used to be a rarity for the most part to see smash and grabs north of River Road other than a few of the shopping center parking lots.

@SpiderLegs
Pima County is run by soft on crime D types and felonies get prosecuted by the county, not the local police. So, CRIME PAYS in Pima County. I won't miss Pima County when I leave, which is looking sooner and sooner.

I still say do not park at any of these trailheads. What were the odds it would happen to me today between 930 AM and 1030 AM? Who cares, it happened. Even if nothing had been taken, my window was still smashed.

@ShatteredArm In the event I have to keep something in the vehicle, I do make an effort to place it in the trunk (or other specifically hidden location) before arriving at the trailhead. I believe it was at Piestewa Peak a few years ago where one of our species' finest reportedly sat watch in a hidden location to see if people put purses or other belongings in the trunk, glove box, under the seat, etc. before choosing their target.

Whenever possible I try to arrive at a local trailhead with a backpack in hand, ready to hike; park, get out, go.

That said, while certain actions or behaviors can help minimize the risk, the blame falls on the criminal fountain cleanser, not on the victim of the crime.

@Jim_H - A few years ago a woman resisted arrest during a drunk driving arrest in Pima County. Somehow in the scuffle her pointed heel on her designer shoes literally plucked the eyeball out of the socket of the deputy. Guy lost his eye and she spent a whopping two days in jail. The county attorney has a revolving door installed at the county jail.

Marana PD has obtained a photo of the perpetrator.

The biker was not the same guy to use the cards.

I am not allowed to have access to the photo, but he is a very light skinned (pale) Mexican appearing man, chubby, reported 5'9" to 5'10" shaved head, wore a gray long sleeve shirt with Mountain Hardware on the back. He wore a black hat that had "Nike' on it and his head was shaved. He also wore jeans. Most of that is useless information unless you see someone resembling that lurking at trailheads.

@Jim_H - Oh great, they are working in teams now.

Jim_H wrote:I still say do not park at any of these trailheads. What were the odds it would happen to me today between 930 AM and 1030 AM? Who cares, it happened.

This is probably a good example of the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, and people still generally don't need to worry about this, provided they take the basic precautions I outlined.

How did they manage to find your credit cards?

chumley wrote:That said, while certain actions or behaviors can help minimize the risk, the blame falls on the criminal fountain cleanser, not on the victim of the crime.

Yeah, I'm not implying the blame for the crime belongs on the victim, I'm merely pointing out that there are basic precautions people can follow to drastically reduce being selected as the target of smash-and-grab crimes. While a lot of property criminals are dumb, most of them at least realize that the presence of something valuable in plain sight generally has the best risk/reward profile.

Trailhead break-ins are becoming more common as they are becoming more organized. I was parked at the Dixie Mountain Trailhead and coming down the trail 4 cars were broken into and I got spared because the car next to me had a purse with credit cards under the seat. Well, they took off to use those credit cards ASAP.
But as look back there is only one trail and it leads up the mountain. So you put a lookout in the entrance they will let you know if someone is coming in and one breaking into the cars can see who’s coming down. It’s becoming more of an organized crime setup.

I don't use those TH's but I have my sign to leave in my windshield if I do " If I see you Fng with my vehicle, your head will be GONE. And I don't miss". Also I too don't leave anything of value or temptation in plain sight. Take my phone and wallet with me. Need to practice with my new purchase; Mossy 590 shockwave 12 ga. If I like it I will likely get a 20ga too. Home and truck ( the new one matches the colorway of my FJ). Of course I'm not killing somebody over a wallet, but I might hurt them a little.

I blocked you shatteredarm. Troll elsewhere.

@RedRoxx44
While I encourage everyone to exercise 2A, it wouldn't have mattered. No one was around. Unless the biker was involved as a lookout, the perp rolled in, smashed, took in under 1 minutes, and rolled out. I have seen broken glass at the Sweetwater TH, and read reports at Finger Rock, Pima Canyon, and others. None of these hikes are worth the risk. Pima County is a place to leave, not stay.

Jim_H wrote:I blocked you shatteredarm. Troll elsewhere.

You're still welcome to my tips on how to minimize the likelihood of losing something important while on a hike.

Troll elsewhere

Jim_H wrote:Pima County is run by soft on crime D types

So this really is about politics and not the fact you left your credit card in your vehicle because carrying said card with you would be an imposition. I envy you that this was the pinnacle of a bad a day for you. Maybe be like the rest of us and hike someplace else with less drama.

@Alston_Neal
Funny that he's the one complaining about trolling, innit?

It really speaks volumes about the remaining members of this site that trolling and flaming is the preferred reason to post in the forum. Good luck!


Alston: I guess you have been waiting to make a forum dig at me since: [ Hikers Attacked At Gateway Trailhead ]

Do you feel good? I bet you do. You side with crime. You victim blame now, and you side with murders and drug addicts. That speaks volumes about you as a person.

Jim_H wrote:Do you feel good? I bet you do. You side with crime. You victim blame now, and you side with murders and drug addicts. That speaks volumes about you as a person.

There's a lot to unpack here, but - when you start a thread about a "rash of break-ins", make an off-hand incendiary remark, and then accuse someone who suggests that there are basic steps you could've taken of "trolling"; then proceed to resurrect a year-old conversation while accusing the other person of holding a grudge - therapy just might be your best option. I think anger management, projection, and lack of self-awareness are things they might be able to help with.