By Peter AitkenShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA Great Wolf Lodge in Northern California suffered a spree of car break-ins, with 48 cars found with shattered windows on Thanksgiving, according to local police.
“Unfortunately, especially around the holidays, when people are expecting that there will be presents and other valuables in vehicles, it is always best not to leave items in your vehicle that can be taken,” Sergeant Steven Beermann of the Manteca Police Department (MPD) told reporters.
Newsweek reached out to the MPD and Great Wolf Lodge by email on Friday night outside of normal business hours for comment.
Why It Matters
Holiday travel hits a peak during Thanksgiving weekend, with around 80 million travelers recorded in 2024, an increase over the previous year, which saw just over 78 million travelers, the vast majority of which drive.
The holiday season can see an increase in violent crime and thefts. An analysis from High Rise Financial last year determined which states are most at-risk for car theft during the holidays, with California ranking high with an average 35.19 thefts per 1000,000 residents, although it did not break the top five, which included Colorado at the top, followed by New Mexico, Washington, Nevada, and Oregon.
...What To Know
Manteca police responded to a call from the local Great Wolf Lodge at around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday after rows of cars were found with their windows smashed and belongs scattered across the ground, KTLA 5 reported.
Items taken include electronics, toiletries, financial documents, as well as at least one firearm.
The thieves entered the lot by jumping a parking barrier, according to police, and it remains unclear if guards were patrolling the area when the crime occurred, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Normally, vehicles can only enter by pulling a ticket at a security point.
The lodge has surveillance cameras, but police have yet to receive or review that footage as the lodge works to compile all video before handing it over.
What People Are Saying
The Great Wolf Lodge in a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle: “Safety is always our primary focus, and we utilize a variety of security measures in our parking facilities including gates, video surveillance and routine patrols. Despite these measures, some vehicles in our parking lot were vandalized this morning, and we are working closely with law enforcement to assist in their investigation as well as assisting those guests who were affected.”
Sergeant Steven Beermann of the Manteca Police Department in a statement to KCRA 3: "If you see people climbing fences into a place like Great Wolf, that's not a normal way to get in, or you see them going around the security measures, such as their gated entrance, it would be good to give us a call.”
What Happens Next?
Police will review soon review video footage while continuing their investigation.
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