Gilbert police link string of vehicle burglaries to East Coast gang

PHOENIX – The Gilbert Police Department is warning citizens about an East Coast gang that has been linked to a string of vehicle burglaries in the East Valley.

According to Sgt. Darrell Krueger of the Gilbert Police Department, the Felony Lane Gang has been linked to at least 20 vehicle break-ins dating back to 2015 in the Gilbert area.

The gang is believed to have originated in Broward County in Florida, moving west along Interstate 95 and establishing new territory across the U.S.

Krueger told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Jeremy Foster on Friday the gang scouts potential targets in populated parking lots before a small group performs the burglary.

“They’ll be in the area for a little while, trying to identify potential targets for car burglaries,” Krueger said. “And when they do they swarm in. These groups jump out of a car, break into vehicles, stealing items that are visible if they are valuable.

“Then they get out of there pretty quickly, in about 30 seconds to a minute they are gone.”

Officials have had a hard time deciphering between burglaries linked to the Felony Lane Gang and those committed by copycats.

Krueger said other agencies in Arizona and across the U.S. have assisted Gilbert police in each reported case, with more expected to be linked to the gang in the future.

At this time there haven’t been any cases where force was used against a victim, but police are urging individuals to hide their valuables and make sure their vehicles are locked to avoid becoming a target.

“It’s hard to avoid the crime of vehicle burglary, it is a crime of opportunity,” Krueger said. “But these people seem to be a little bit more organized and it’s even more important that we take our precautions very seriously.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Jeremy Foster contributed to this report. 

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