Cameras Capture Thieves Stealing ATVs From Cathedral City Home

A search is underway for the thieves who targeted a home in the Cathedral City Cove. Neighbors say the crooks took off with a pair of ATVs around 4:30 A.M. Thursday.

Neighbors called our news station Friday and gave us surveillance video of the suspects as they committed the crime. Cathedral City Police say it’s a perfect example of how vigilant neighbors can help keep their communities safe.

The camera mounted on a home on Foothill Road captured a pickup truck Thursday morning pulling away from a next door neighbor’s home, while 2 people followed behind riding 2 stolen ATVs. Surveillance video then shoes the thieves driving through several streets, and even at one point leaving one of the ATVs behind.

“It was hidden out of sight. I think they ran out of gas, I believe they were going to come back and get it,” said head neighborhood watchman, Art Gregoire.

He says the very next day talking to neighbors, they discovered the abandoned ATV behind an unoccupied home several blocks away.

“So once I saw it, I took a picture of it and I took it to Foothill (Road), because I knew there was a bike like that on a trailer,” Gregoire said.

The neighborhood watchman says they immediately contacted police, and thanks to neighbors’ security cameras, police have video of the suspects doing the crime.

“To give to the police and say here, here is your investigation, here is your evidence… What can be better than that?” Gregoire added.

Gregoire says Cathedral City Cove is a community with a low crime rate, and it’s because neighbors work together and are vigilant.

“People’s mindsets are different, they see something that’s not right they want to capture it, they want to report it, and they want to follow up on it,” Gregoire said.

He urges communities who don’t already have a neighborhood watch, to start one. Social media, such as facebook, many times is a good way to keep neighbors informed about crime, events, improvements going on in their communities.

If you live in the Cathedral Cove area and would like to join the community’s neighborhood watch, you can do so by heading to www.nextdoor.com/cathedralcitycove.

If you have any information about the crime mentioned above, call Valley Crimestoppers at (760) 341-STOP. You can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a $1000 reward.