Storage unit broken into twice in 2 days

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Beech Grove Police arrested two men they believe were behind several break-ins at storage units.

It's a trend they say they see all too often.

David Hillebrand's family is in the midst of moving, and they’re using storage space in the process at Public Storage in Beech Grove.

“We just pulled in, and the lock was missing from the door of the actual unit,” said Hillebrand. “They’d actually ripped the entire lock itself off. I lifted up the garage door, and everything was just thrown every where.”

That was Monday. Many of his items were gone. Guitars, a shotgun, shells, rims to a car.

Tuesday night, a Beech Grove police officer caught 20-year-old Christopher Duncan and 23-year-old Justin Cherry at the storage facility again.

They say they’d cut the fence to get in both nights, and police believe they were trying to get more items.

Captain Robert Mercuri, with the Beech Grove Police Department, says he's seeing these types of crimes more and more.

There are a few recommendations if you do need to store items at a storage facility.

He recommends hiding the both valuable items, so thieves can’t easily see them.

Make sure you document your items, take pictures, and record the serial numbers.

Get insurance, and also use a heavy-duty lock that’s not easily broken.

Also, ask about the storage facility’s own safety procedures. Some have cameras and other safeguards around the facility.