Windermere police offers tips to protect homes, vehicles

The Windermere Police Department has been working diligently to help educate and better protect local residents following a series of home burglaries and vehicle thefts in February.

Although the vehicle thefts and home burglaries are two separate, unrelated cases, Detective Mark Wilson said the incidents do have one thing in common: Preventable actions can be taken to limit the instances.

“We are continuing to try and help to educate the public about the importance of security,” he said. “We live in Windermere, and in what people call the ‘Windermere bubble,’ where some associate it as always being safe and maybe not taking the same precautions as they would in other areas. But, crime happens when there’s opportunity. When we don’t do our due diligence to limit those opportunities, you can expect something to happen, regardless of where you live.”

HOME BURGLARIES

On Feb. 4, officers from the WPD received reports of a suspect, who was driving a white Honda Civic, entering homes through garages and committing burglaries. 

The suspect was reported by several witnesses and caught on multiple cameras.

Wilson was able to obtain a plate number for the vehicle from one of the videos. He ran the plate number, registered from New Hampshire, and discovered the owner to be 27-year-old Thomas Hixon. He also found an expired Florida driver’s license. 

“It turned out that one of our officers had passed him on the road,” Wilson said. “When they saw him, they continued to where the burglary was. When they got there, the witness said the suspect had just left. That’s when they realized they had seen him and passed him. They thought the person was still at the house. I sent the officer a picture of the suspect, and he was able to identify him. We were also able to check the identification on the videos.”

Wilson then received word Hixon had traveled to another part of town and committed an additional burglary. Another report followed, with a witness stating they did not see the suspect, but they had left their garage open and their golf clubs were missing. 

Wilson called dispatch and issued a BOLO.

At 9:30 p.m., dispatch called Wilson to tell him the Orlando Police Department was behind Hixon’s vehicle. Wilson told the OPD to pull him over, and Hixon was pulled over in downtown Orlando. Wilson arrested him and took him to jail, where he currently resides. 

Courtesy photo

After obtaining a search warrant for Hixon’s vehicle, the WPD identified additional victims in Windermere, as well as in OPD and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office jurisdictions.

Stolen wallets and credit cards were found in the vehicle. Wilson was able to help recover the missing golf clubs from an additional location where Hixon had attempted to pawn them off. 

Hixon is facing six burglary charges dealing with seven victims from the one arrest. As of Wednesday, Feb. 28, his total bonds exceed $20,000. 

Wilson said the person committing the crime is always responsible for their own actions. Although the fault is never of the victim, he said there are many preventative measures residents can take to help protect against burglars. 

“Again, all of this was checking door handles, going into dwellings that had garages that were open,” he said. “We have to do our due diligence to lock up our things and close our garages so that we can limit that. … One thing that people often overlook is garage-door openers. If you leave that in the car, they can go in the vehicle and see that and then also gain entry to your home. It makes it very easy. … There are some simple things that we can do to protect ourselves and limit these occurrences. They’re going to keep trying, but we want to limit these opportunities that some may fall victim to.”

VEHICLE THEFTS

The WPD also is working an open case pertaining to a series of high-end vehicle thefts in multiple locations. 

Wilson said the department had received a call for the thefts that took place on Feb. 18 and 19. He said the incidents appear to be a trend. 

“We collaborate with other local departments, as well,” he said. “It seems to be that on the same night there also were some high-end vehicle thefts in surrounding jurisdictions. We are all working together to share information to see if these are connected in some way. … The instances appear to be people going from car to car just lifting door handles and seeing what they can find. … A lot of the vehicles are left unlocked, sometimes with keys in the car and sometimes with items of value in plain sight.”

The WPD is continuing to evaluate possible suspects in the case. 

Wilson said residents should review their car manuals, as many of the newer vehicles have technology that can be utilized for safety. For example, when some keys leave the vehicle, they can automatically lock the car. 

He also said valuables should always be taken out of vehicles, including garage-door openers. 

Wilson suggests residents use garage-door openers that are accessible on their phone, so the openers do not need to be stored in the vehicle. 

“It’s a lot better and safer with using an opener that can be controlled on your phone than having a button up on your visor, which people can just take and then make their way to your home,” he said. “It’s also important to keep in mind when valeting your car where all of your personal effects are stored. You trust these valet people, but you never know. You have your insurance cards with your home address on there and your garage-door opener right there, for example. You’re down the block eating, and these people can get right into your home. We have to limit these opportunities to the best of our abilities. We just have to stay aware and vigilant.”