Neither has the person or persons responsible for what police are calling the largest outbreak of car break-ins in Apex in recent memory.

Since January, police have responded to 90 car break-ins throughout town.

"It's the biggest [spree] in recent years," said Capt. Ann Stephens of the Apex police department. "It's sad that it just keeps happening."

Stephens said the crimes have not been linked by such factors as time or proximity. Nor has the culprit targeted a specific vehicle make or model.

"There hasn't really been any pattern," she said.

At least not on the part of the criminals. The same can't be said of the victims, however.

"Every single one of these thefts has been from an unlocked vehicle," Stephens said. "All of these are crimes of opportunity."

Items taken from the targeted vehicles have included purses, wallets and electronic devices such as laptops, iPods and GPS units. Stephens said that all of the missing property has been left in plain sight by its owners.

"It's all stuff that can be easily secured," she said. "These kinds of crimes might be prevented if we could just get people to lock their cars."

And that's just one piece of advice police have for residents. Officers also suggest these steps to avoid becoming a victim of a car break-in:

Lock your garage.

Secure your valuables in your home whenever possible.

Lock small items such as iPods in a glove box.

Secure items of value in your trunk.

Keep valuables out of sight.

Following these rules of thumb can help make vehicles less attractive to thieves, Stephens said.

Citizens who witness suspicious activity in their neighborhood or have information on the recent crimes are urged to call police at 919-362-8661.

"Unfortunately, the problem seems to only be getting worse," Stephens said. "We just hate for something to continue that is so easily fixed."