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TPD, HCSO vehicles burglarized amid 'numerous' car break-ins: Police

By and
Updated  March 21, 2025 4:31pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News

Police investigating rash of vehicle break-ins

Genevieve Curtis reports.

The Brief

    • Tampa police say "numerous" vehicles were burglarized at several apartment complexes in SoHo on Friday morning.
    • Marked SUVs belonging to TPD and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office were among the vehicles broken into, police say.
    • Investigators are working to identify possible suspects.

TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Police Department is investigating a string of car burglaries at several apartment complexes, with marked law enforcement vehicles among the cars found with windows smashed out.

What we know:

TPD says "numerous" break-ins happened Friday morning in the SoHo area.

According to police, an SUV belonging to TPD and another belonging to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office were among the vehicles burglarized.

Local perspective:

On Friday morning, a TPD detective called Hunter Henson to tell him that he was one of several owners to have their cars broken into around the SoHo neighborhood.

"I wasn't in the market for a used cop car. But it's awesome," Henson said.

When he bought a decommissioned patrol unit at auction, he knew it came with some quirks.

"It used to be sirens, so the horn was stripped. I bought a little air horn to use," he said.

He never thought it could make him the target for a burglary.

"I never really thought about it until today, you know? Never crossed my mind, but now it's going to be something I think about pretty frequently," he said.

Broken glass covers the car where his windows were smashed overnight.

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Police say "numerous" vehicles were burglarized in SoHo, including a Tampa Police Department SUV.

What they're saying:

"They broke into my glove box, which is where a lot of people keep their weapons. I don't have any, but I think with the theme of them breaking into law enforcement's cars are definitely looking for weapons," said Henson.

"They tried to take my iPad and a couple backpacks that were scattered along the road and then they took my subwoofer and a couple speakers I’ve got stored down here," Henson added. "But they left the most important thing which is my pickleball paddles."

Dig deeper:

TPD recovered several of his backpacks the burglars left along the street. One of them had his iPad and other valuables.

"No guns though, which is what they were after," he said.

Henson has an expensive repair ahead of him… but he’s got a good handle on his outlook. 

"Keep living and dreaming," he said.

As of Friday evening, no arrests have been made.

What we don't know:

TPD hasn't said exactly how many vehicles were burglarized or what may have been stolen from the cars.

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What you can do:

Anyone with information about the burglaries is urged to contact the Tampa Police Department at 813-231-6130.

The Source: This story was written with information from the Tampa Police Department.

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