Eight Car Break-Ins Mapped, And How You Can Avoid Becoming a Victim

Police reports from the City of Fredericksburg have noted eight car break-ins since between Friday and Monday. Here's a map with the sites plotted out.

Several are in the Central Park shopping and dining district. Two other thefts were in the parking lots of area gyms. One car theft was in downtown Fredericksburg.

Here are 4 top tips to prevent car break-ins, from our partners at AOL Auto.

• Lock your doors: While this piece of advice should be a no-brainer, up to a quarter of vehicle thefts are from unlocked cars, according to some law enforcement agencies. 
• Keep it tidy: Almost any worthless personal item that's visible from the outside -- even an empty shopping bag -- could be seen as a valuable or a carrier of valuables. 
• Conceal all the evidence: Don't leave any bait out for thieves; stow your electronics and accessories well out of sight-or better yet, bring it with you. 
• Stash before -- not after -- you park: Get in the habit of putting shopping bags in the trunk right when you return to the vehicle, rather than after you park at the next place.