Several cars parked in the S Lots near Jack Trice Stadium were broken into and vandalized this weekend, causing about $4,000 in damages, Department of Public Safety officials said.

Six vehicles parked in Lot S-5 had their driver or passenger-side windows broken out late Thursday or early Friday morning, said Loras Jaeger, director of DPS.

“One of the people who owned one of the [vandalized] cars called in,” Jaeger said. “Officers checked the vehicles when the call first came in and found six cars had been broken into.”

Jaeger said he does not know how many people broke into the cars, but he said radar detectors, stereos and CDs were among some of the missing items.

“We don’t know who did it, but the same person broke into all of the cars,” he said. “If anyone observed anything in the lot, we would like them to call with information.”

Jaeger said this type of situation occasionally happens in the large parking lots located at the stadium, Towers Residence Halls, Hawthorn Court and university housing. “These large lots are prime locations for theft, and that’s why we continue to encourage people to take valuable items out of their vehicles,” he said.

Erin Carney, sophomore in elementary education, said taking valuable items out of the car was not enough. “I had a detachable face stereo, and the face was off,” said Carney, whose Grand Am was broken into. “[The face] was hidden in the car, and they found it. They must have known what kind of stereo it was.”

Carney said her two-year-old CD player worth about $350 was taken from her car. Her insurance will cover the costs, she said.

“I’m trying to get a different parking permit because [DPS] must not watch it very well,” she said. “Even DPS told me they don’t watch it very well unless someone calls.”

Erik Kambarian, freshman in political science, said his father is writing a letter to Interim President Richard Seagrave, the dean of students and parking services regarding the incident. Kambarian said he is going to write a letter to DPS asking for better security.

“We pay $45 to park there, and I don’t know what it goes to,” said Kambarian, whose Eclipse was broken into. “I will pay $100 if I can guarantee the safety of my car”.

Kambarian said he noticed his car had been broken into when he was walking to the lot with a friend. “Four cars in a row had their windows broken,” he said.

Kambarian said about 15 CDs and a case were stolen along with a $350 amplifier, two subwoofers totaling $200, a $100 speaker box, a $250 CD player and a $150 radar detector. He said his insurance will not cover the items or the $220 he had to pay Monday to replace his window. “They ripped my face off the CD player and broke that, but it’s still in the car,” he said. “I turned the face plate in for fingerprinting, but it will be destroyed in the process.”

Dustin Kass, freshman in engineering, had his Pioneer CD player and two CDs stolen out of his GMC Jimmy. Larry Rassler, sophomore in elementary education, Seth Roecker, freshman in construction engineering, and Ken Jay, freshman in civil engineering, also had their cars broken into, officials said.

If anyone has any information about the thefts, contact DPS at 294-4428.