By Shavonne Potts
shavonne.potts@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Four juveniles have been charged with breaking into two vehicles and stealing one of them from a Maxwell Street home.

A man reported that his 1996 Honda Accord was unlocked in his driveway and had been ransacked. There was nothing of value in the vehicle, except the keys that belonged to a 2013 Ford Focus, which was also unlocked, said Salisbury Police Department Lt. Lee Walker.

The incident occurred sometime between 1 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday in the 1300 block of Maxwell Street.

The juveniles, who are male and 15 and 16 years old, were located at a home in the 700 block of Partee Street around 10 p.m. the same night. There, law enforcement found the 2013 Ford Focus. The teens were charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

There have also been a few other vehicle break-ins throughout the city recently, Walker said.

A man reported on Friday someone threw a cinder block through a passenger-side window of a work truck parked in the 600 block of Little Street. The incident occurred sometime between Thursday evening and Friday morning. The man told police the thief stole $80 that he had in the center console.

A man on Ferndale Drive told police someone went into his unlocked Hyundai Genesis sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning. There was $10 in change stolen as well as a handgun.

An unlocked work van was parked in the 700 block of Hamilton Drive. The thief stole construction equipment including nail guns, a miter saw, table saw, and an air compressor. The theft occurred sometime between Friday and 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

Police charged Falaah Muhammad Ortega, 35, in a vehicle break-in that occurred Saturday in the 400 block of Grace Street. A neighbor spotted a man getting into a 2004 Ford Expedition. The neighbor stopped the suspect, and she held him until police arrived, Walker said.

He admitted to getting inside the vehicle, but told police it was because he was homeless and was looking for a place to sleep. Walker said the man had a bottle of wine with him.

Ortega was charged with felony breaking and entering a motor vehicle. While there have been several vehicle break-ins that occurred recently in hotel parking lots and residences, police don’t believe Ortega is responsible for those.

Anyone with information contact the Salisbury Police Department at 704-638-5333 or Salisbury-Rowan Crime Stoppers at 1-866-639-5245.