Car break-in at San Bernardino trailhead

[FDR]

Hi all, I realize that SB Peak is not in the San Jacinto range, but realize also many of you also do this hike.

Please be advised that my Suzuki was broken into while I was hiking yesterday. In 30+ years of hiking this has never happened to me anywhere in the world. The thieves jimmied open the trunk and made their way into the car. They stole my GPS system, my spare tire (can you believe that!?), a cooler with 6 Diet Cokes in it and some other smaller items.

I was plenty angry but realize it could have been far worse. It didn't look like the other cars (about a dozen), had been vandalized. Please be careful when parking at this trailhead. I know someone else posted about a year ago that they'd been broken into here.

SB Peak is one of my favorite Southern California hikes, but from now on, I will be parking at the ranger station or the restaurant far away from the dirt road leading to the hike.

[FDR]

I just went through my old posts and saw that Ellen had a break-in at the San Bernardino Peak trailhead. Ellen, if you're out there, can you elaborate? You mentioned a white Ford Explorer with tinted windows from last May, 2012. Incredibly, yesterday I saw a White Ford Explorer (didn't pay attention to tinted windows) parked on the road in front of the shacks on the paved road right before the dirt road. Coincidence?

[Hikin_Jim]

Wow, that really sucks. Maybe I'll enter that area from the Forsee Creek trailhead by way of Johns Meadow from now on.

Thanks for taking the time to post.

HJ

[Ellen]

Howdy FDR

First of all, I am sorry (and angry) that your vehicle was broken into. My Honda still bears the tool marks above my driver's side window from the robbery. The gutless wonders got my wallet with my cards and driver's license. I made a police report. It took a month to get everything resolved.

I now park near the Oaks restaurant -- the owners encouraged me to do so and we always eat there afterwards. The vehicle you spotted sounds similar to the one we spotted.

Grrr....
Ellen

[FDR]

Ellen, thank you for replying, I appreciate it. As a hiker, I live by a certain ethical code and (naively) expect others to adhere to it. I just am blown away that anything bad can happen to me while hiking. I have learned a sobering lesson.

Like you, I will now park at the Oaks restaurant. It saddens me because I have hiked since 1979 as a teen at the SB Peak trailhead and never had a break in.

[zippetydude]

Sorry to hear the bad news FDR. I have never had my car broken into at that trail head, but after posts by Ellen and others here on the board I started parking down at the Oaks some time ago. It's a very short (0.3 miles) distance to the trail head from there and with all the traffic and people around it seems much safer.

I think of hikers as generally good, respectable people, so it came as a shock to me when I first heard. Then someone posted that they think it's probably a local who isn't a hiker at all, just a form of lowlife that happens to know where cars sit in a hidden area, unattended for a long time. Seems likely. With such repeated occurrences, I think a hidden camera would be warranted...maybe hide one at the Ramon trail head as well, and Vivian Creek. I wonder how hard that would be to do? It would be great to catch the &*%$#!

z

[FDR]

Oh, I am sure it is not a hiker. I don't believe one of our community would ever do this. I suspect a local tweaker. Someone who needs to feed their drug habit and can easily pawn or sell whatever they rip off.

Thanks for your kind words. From now on, I am parking at either the pizza place or The Oaks!

[hiiker]

That's the pits!

I'm sure you've all heard this before but a reminder never hurts.

Never, ever leave anything of value in your vehicles. Don't even leave evidence of something valuable such as; the power cord to your GPS or phone, the GPS mount (even evidence it was stuck to your windshield), a jacket or piece of clothing covering something, spare change, and etc...

I see vehicles parked at trail heads all the time with very plain evidence the owner has an external GPS or high dollar phone. Where do most store their electronics or other things when they aren't using them and are trying to hide them from the thieves, in their trunk or glove box.

This advice is similar to what you would do if hiking in bear country. Don't leave a cooler in site for the bear to see. The bear associates the cooler with food just like a thief associates power cords and such with something of value.

Leave your valuables at home (or take them with you), period.

[KathyW]

I've heard of at least six incidents at that trailhead in the last couple of years. I'm sure there have been more though. I think it would be a good idea for a sign to be posted at the trailhead warning people of the risk they are taking parking there.

[tekewin]

I realize this forum is for San Jacinto, but since the topic is open, is there a relatively safer place to park near Vivian Creek trail head?