FAIRFIELD — Police are investigating nearly a dozen car burglaries that were discovered early Thursday morning.

The overnight burglaries occurred mostly in the Savage Street area near the Waterville city line, according to Fairfield police Capt. Paul St. Amand. In addition to the cars, all of which were unlocked when the robberies occurred, St. Amand said two unlocked garages also were entered. Other burglaries were reported in Waterville in the Drummond Avenue area. Savage Street becomes Drummond Avenue at the municipal boundary.

“We are investigating,” St. Amand said. “I suspect the car burglaries that happened in Waterville this morning are going to be linked to ours.”

The nine Fairfield vehicle burglaries occurred on Savage Street, Keyes Street, Elm Street, Military Avenue, Burns Street, Liberty Street and Cottage Street. The Waterville robberies appeared to have been limited to Drummond Avenue.

“We strongly urge the public to keep their vehicles locked,” St. Amand said.

Waterville police Chief Joseph Massey said there were five reported incidents early Thursday morning in Waterville. He said a patrol officer driving on Drummond Avenue spotted a car with its door open, and a homeowner there reported the car had been burglarized. He said he hadn’t spoken directly with Fairfield police, but “based on proximity, I would say it’s probably a good chance it’s the same people.”

Massey also said it’s likely these burglaries are the work of the same culprits who entered more than a dozen cars early Tuesday morning in Waterville. Those burglaries were reported on Elmwood Avenue, Front Place, Boutelle Avenue, Dalton Street and Brook Street.

Massey said it was the same pattern of unlocked cars being entered, often with the doors left open, likely out of fear of making noise. He said usually the same things were taken each time — loose change, cigarettes and small items. He said one person reported that a couple of hundred dollars in cash had been stolen.

Some items reported missing were found discarded in other areas, which Massey said probably meant the thieves had gone through everything they had stolen and tossed out what they didn’t want.

“Even though it’s in your driveway, just lock your cars,” Massey said.

St. Amand said nothing of great value was taken from the cars in Fairfield, just loose change. Items were reported stolen from only one of the garages, but they were just a pack of cigarettes and two pipes for smoking marijuana. As yet, nothing had been reported stolen from the other garage. St. Amand said car burglaries tend to come in waves, beginning once the weather gets nicer.

“We notice it more with the warmer weather. Historically we’ll get different sprees of this,” St. Amand said. “It will quiet down and someone else will pick up and continue on.”

Currently there are no suspects, but St. Amand said it probably was a group of people working together.

Colin Ellis — 861-9253

cellis@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @colinoellis

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