Police catch car wash burglar: serial crime in Holzheim!

Police catch car wash burglar: serial crime in Holzheim!

In the last few days there have been a number of burglary crimes in Germany that have particularly come into the public eye. But while three suspected burglars were caught red-handed in Berlin during the night, the police in Holzheim arrested two men who are said to be involved in a whole series of burglaries.

The arrest in Holzheim took place on Tuesday night. A 32-year-old man from the southern district of Neu-Ulm is suspected of being the main suspect in several break-ins at self-service car washes. He was arrested around 1:15 a.m. as the driver of a vehicle involved in the crime. His 26-year-old accomplice was also arrested when police found stolen cash, break-in tools and a balaclava in the pair's vehicle. The cash came from stolen cash boxes from the car company that were disposed of nearby, as [Augsburger Allgemeine](https://www.augsburger- Allgemeine.de/illertissen/holzheim-polizei-fasst-waschstrassen-knacker-auf-frischer-tat-110416383) reports.

Wave of burglaries in Germany

The incidents in Holzheim are part of a larger trend: The burglary statistics for 2024 show an increase in residential burglaries in Germany. A total of 77,819 residential burglaries were registered in 2023, an increase of 18 percent compared to the previous year. This is particularly worrying for North Rhine-Westphalia, where a 15 percent increase in residential burglaries has been recorded. On average, a burglary occurs every day in Germany, and the damage caused by these crimes is enormous, as Home Insider makes clear.

The most common break-in methods are door prying and cylinder pulling, accounting for 16 percent of cases. Even though many burglaries are committed by occasional and spontaneous perpetrators, it is not just the material loss that hurts the affected households. Every break-in brings with it a feeling of insecurity.

Arrests in Berlin

A notable case of burglary was also reported in Berlin. Three suspected burglars were arrested in Charlottenburg around 2:35 a.m. after attempting to break into a car dealership. Two perpetrators climbed over a fence and broke down a door before fleeing the premises. The arrest of the three men, aged 30, 33 and 35, by the police makes it clear that the investigation in this regard is in full swing, as Polizeibericht Berlin reports.

The police in Holzheim have started investigating the series of break-ins at car washes, while the suspects are in police custody in Berlin. This shows once again that despite intensive police operations, crime does not stop and always finds new ways to strike. Now it is important to rethink the security precautions and adapt them if necessary, because break-ins can affect anyone and there is often more at stake than just the material goods.