Between 12:30 and 1 p.m. Monday, July 18, one or more thieves broke the windows of five cars parked at Snoqualmie Point Park, and stole thousands of dollars worth of electronics and other valuables. Snoqualmie Police have no suspects in the thefts.

Car prowls are a growing problem throughout the Valley, anywhere there’s parking for a trailhead.

“Snoqualmie Point Park is the trailhead for Rattlesnake Ridge,” said Sgt. Robert Keeton of the Snoqualmie Police Department, “and all trailheads to are subject to that kind of behavior.”

Keeton estimates the thieves took only minutes to break into the cars, because the vehicle owners were only gone for about 30 minutes, and less than 100 feet away. The safety glass used in car windows doesn’t make a lot of noise when it breaks, either, making it unlikely the thieves would be caught in the act.

It’s another reminder not to leave valuables in plain sight in cars, even if they’re locked.

“Typically, the bad guy will break a window of convenience when they see something inside,” Keeton said.