A 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a string of vehicle break-ins.

Demopolis Police arrested Jacob Nored, of Demopolis, on Monday. He is charged with 21 counts of unlawful breaking/entering vehicle, one count of fraudulent use of credit card and one count of possession of marijuana. Nored is in the Marengo County Detention Center awaiting bond.

DPD Chief Tommie Reese said more charges may be filed as the investigation continues.

By 9:30 Monday morning, Demopolis officers had responded to a dozen car break-ins.

The break-ins occurred on the west side of town on Maria Avenue, Ashwood Street, Powe Road, Gaston Lane, Hackberry Lane and Marengo Drive.

All the vehicles that were broken into were unlocked, Reese said.

He said the last rash of vehicle break-ins like this happened in 2011 and reminds citizens to keep car doors locked.

“Lock your vehicle doors whether at home, parked on the streets or in a shopping center,” he said. “Most of the time, the best theft deterrent is just locking the door. If a criminal has to break the glass, chances are they will make noise and attract attention.”

He added criminals look for easy prey, and when the find an unlocked vehicle, it doesn’t get much easier.

“The person didn’t force themselves into the vehicles since they weren’t locked, so there’s not much to go on as far as evidence, but we’re continuing to investigate,” Reese said. “The suspect most likely checked more vehicles than were broken into, but moved on when finding locked vehicles.”

Reese commended his Criminal Investigation Division and Patrol Division for bringing some closure to the victims.

He also asked that citizens to alert the DPD of any suspicious activity by calling the department at (334) 289-3073.