It has been a crime wave sweeping the county. Thieves have been stealing car batteries, causing ten of thousands of dollars in damage and loss.The crooks are breaking into auto repair shops, smashing windows and ripping vehicle apart for the batteries. The crimes are occurring mostly in Lapeer, but have reached Deerfield Township and North Branch too.

The City of Lapeer Police Chief says that extra patrols are being added, and they are working together with other law enforcement to find the thieves. The batteries are only valued at $15 at the junk yard, but many vehicles have additional damage of broken windows, even if they were unlocked. The crooks reportedly use bolt cutters to cut apart the electrical cords and brackets.

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