BOISE, Idaho — A Boise man has been booked into the Ada County jail after police say he was involved in a string of vehicle burglaries near Eagle and McMillan Roads in west Boise.
Around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, Boise Police officers responded to reports of a vehicle prowler in the area of W. Persimmon Street.
Officers soon found a subject matching the suspect’s description. “But when officers attempted to approach the subject, he took off running and jumped a fence into a nearby backyard,” according to Boise Police Department spokesperson Haley Williams. “He continued to attempt to run from officers until he was ultimately stopped and taken into custody. He was found to be in possession of items stolen from three unlocked vehicles.”
The suspect, identified as Joseph Blair, 43, of Boise, was taken to the Ada County Jail and booked on three counts of felony burglary and one misdemeanor counts of resisting officers.
With warmer weather, police are seeing more people out at night “We encourage everyone to make sure their garage doors are closed and vehicles are locked,” Williams said.
Most vehicle burglaries are crimes of opportunity. So police encourage everyone to take extra precautions, such as:
-A locked vehicle is safer. Remember to close the widows or sunroof, even when parking at home.
-Remove valuables from plain view, even if the vehicle is locked.
-Unless going straight home, store all shopping bags and other purchases in the trunk.
-Don’t leave a trace of items that may be hidden “out of sight”. For example: the suction cup on the dashboard may indicate there is a GPS inside.
-Do not leave the garage opener in plain view.
-Carry registration and insurance cards with you or lock in the glove box.
-Remove all important items from your car.
-Don't leave car, house, or work keys in the vehicle.
-Be aware of suspicious individuals and report any activity.
-At home, always park in your garage, if available. Remember to close the garage door and lock the side entrance to the garage.
-If your garage is not available, park in the driveway. Leave on porch lights at night for better lighting.
-If only street parking is available, park in front of your house to ensure you have good visibility of the vehicle.
(photo courtesy: Ada County Jail)
