WHITEWATER TWP., Ohio – Residents of RiverView Crossing love their peaceful, little community, but it's not so peaceful anymore.
Thieves swiped three vehicles Tuesday night, broke into others and shattered their sense of security.
They broke into Donna Horan's car when she was sound asleep in her room just feet away.
"It was right by my bedroom windows. That was unnerving to think that they were that close to me personally in bed," Horan said.
Horan couldn't believe what she saw when she went out to her car Wednesday. The glove compartment was wide open and mailbox keys kept in the console were on the driver's seat.
"Like they thought it was a car key that they could use, but it wouldn't start a car," she said.
Down the street, thieves made off with a pickup truck parked in a driveway and drove away with two other vehicles. The pickup truck was recovered because it was equipped with OnStar.
"Some of those individuals we know left keys in their cars and were unlocked," said a neighbor, Bill Rollins.
Rollins was upset and angry as he tended his yard. "It's a little scary to think that someone could come into this neighborhood and at will destroy property, take property, all without any real reasoning behind it," he said.
So, what's being done to boost security at RiverView Crossing?
Community Manager Matt Selmen said they're going to send safety reminder letters to residents, and even though this is private property, they're going to ask the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office to patrol randomly at night.
Residents like Rollins plan to do their part.
"We don't have a neighborhood watch here, so there's been talk of that," Rollins said.
"The best advice I can give is don't leave your keys in your car and leave your car unlocked. It's just inviting trouble," he said.
