Saugus fitness club curbs car break-ins

SAUGUS – L.A. Fitness general manager Alex Marshall said the recent addition of surveillance cameras and a security guard has greatly reduced the amount of car break-ins at the Saugus gym.The massive health and fitness complex sits in between Route 1 and Route 99 and has been a frequent target for thieves looking to break into cars. According to police records, there have been 13 car break ins at L.A. Fitness since Sept. 16, most which saw windows smashed and electronic devices like iPhones and laptops stolen.?We recently installed cameras all around and we have a security guard from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.,” said Marshall. “We?re taking all the steps that we can and we?re working with the Saugus Police. Since we installed the security guards we caught three people.”According to records, there have been just two break-in since cameras were installed on Nov. 1 and, on Nov. 15, police arrested a Saugus man after a caller from L.A. Fitness reported a man looking into cars. Stephan Jude Cutone was charged with breaking and entering a vehicle in the daytime, larceny under $250 and attempt to commit a crime.Marshall said he never leaves any valuables in his car while he?s at work and has urged gym-goers to do the same.?I come in here everyday from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. and I leave my car in the parking lot and it?s never been broken into,” said Marshall. “But I also have never left a laptop or my wallet or my GPS. People that have the car break -ins say, ?Oh, my laptop was in the front seat, or my purse, or my GPS.?”Saugus Assistant Police Chief Leonard Campanello said gyms are prime targets for thieves because they know people will be away from their cars for extended periods. The location is also big factor for this particular L.A. Fitness, said Campanello.?I think it?s a little bit off the beaten path,” said Campanello. “People that break in there have three easy ways to get out of there. They can immediately go down Route 99 or Route 1 north or south. They break in real quick and can go three different ways immediately.”Campanello said Saugus police have been working with L.A. Fitness to help resolve the situation, calling the staff there “cooperative and proactive.”With holiday shoppers jamming the numerous stores along Route 1, Campanello said this time of year sees a sharp increase in break-ins. There have been more than 30 since mid-September according to police records.?People know that the shoppers are out there and storing items in their cars,” said Campanello. “Sometimes those can be high-end items that can be easily sold in the secondary market. Obviously when you have a mall and a significant amount of business traffic with Route 1, you may have more thefts, but only because it?s more of a concentration of businesses.”Campanello said he has “stepped up” patrols around businesses in Saugus and that shoppers should store any valuable items out of sight.?We especially encourage people who are buying gifts to keep them in the trunk or covered in the back seat out of view,” said Campanello.Parking in an area where your car can be easily viewed is also helpful, said Campanello.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter @MattTempesta.