Car break-ins in the Basin: What you need to know

ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – The drop in temperature moving through the Basin means major events later in the year are getting closer. However, Jasmin Perez, an estimator at Alpha Body Shop in Odessa, said preparing for those events could make your vehicle a target for a break-in.

"Whenever they're shopping around the holidays, they get robbed or vandalized, the vehicles do, so that's when we have more repairs," she said.

Perez also said car doors might need to be repaired if someone breaks into a vehicle – and a lot of work goes into repairing one small door.

"We have to do the teardowns, take the trim panels off the doors, and replace the handles and the key fobs on it," she said. "The whole glass has to be replaced."

Perez said other common areas criminals look to attack include door handles, glass on the driver's side, and trunk lids. Whether you are preparing for the holidays or not, Odessa Police Department Corporal Steve LeSeuer said a lot of break-ins, with Odessa averaging about 40 per month, have one thing in common.

"It is important to know that the vast majority of these vehicles were all left unlocked while they were burglarized," he said. "If you lock your vehicle, it's less likely to be burglarized."

LeSeur also said if shoppers are going to multiple stores, they should put their valuable items in their trunk before arriving at their next stop. Vehicle owners could also face a citation if a key is left inside the vehicle when it is stolen.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles said cars can be prevented from a break-in by parking in a well-lit area and almost 200,000 car burglaries happen every year.