Great Wolf Lodge in California Hit by String of Car Break-Ins on Thanksgiving
A popular family resort in Northern California was targeted by a group of thieves who smashed the windows of nearly 50 cars, leaving valuables scattered across the parking lot. The break-ins occurred on Thanksgiving morning at the Great Wolf Lodge in Manteca, with police responding to reports of vandalism around 7:30 am.
According to authorities, the thieves entered the property by jumping over a security barrier and made off with a range of items, including electronics, toiletries, financial documents, and even a firearm. The lodge's surveillance cameras captured footage of the break-ins, but it remains unclear whether security guards were present at the time of the incident.
"We take the safety of our guests very seriously," said a spokesperson for Great Wolf Lodge in a statement. "Despite our best efforts to secure the property, some vehicles in our parking lot were vandalized this morning. We are working closely with law enforcement to assist in their investigation and provide support to affected guests."
Police Chief Steven Beermann warned that suspicious activity around high-security areas should be reported immediately. "If you see people climbing fences into a place like Great Wolf or going around security measures, such as our gated entrance, it would be good to give us a call," he said.
The incident highlights the risks associated with car break-ins during peak travel periods. According to data from High Rise Financial, California ranks among the top states for car thefts during holidays, with an average of 35.19 thefts per 1 million residents in 2024.
As the investigation continues, police will review the lodge's surveillance footage and work with local authorities to identify those responsible for the break-ins.
A popular family resort in Northern California was targeted by a group of thieves who smashed the windows of nearly 50 cars, leaving valuables scattered across the parking lot. The break-ins occurred on Thanksgiving morning at the Great Wolf Lodge in Manteca, with police responding to reports of vandalism around 7:30 am.
According to authorities, the thieves entered the property by jumping over a security barrier and made off with a range of items, including electronics, toiletries, financial documents, and even a firearm. The lodge's surveillance cameras captured footage of the break-ins, but it remains unclear whether security guards were present at the time of the incident.
"We take the safety of our guests very seriously," said a spokesperson for Great Wolf Lodge in a statement. "Despite our best efforts to secure the property, some vehicles in our parking lot were vandalized this morning. We are working closely with law enforcement to assist in their investigation and provide support to affected guests."
Police Chief Steven Beermann warned that suspicious activity around high-security areas should be reported immediately. "If you see people climbing fences into a place like Great Wolf or going around security measures, such as our gated entrance, it would be good to give us a call," he said.
The incident highlights the risks associated with car break-ins during peak travel periods. According to data from High Rise Financial, California ranks among the top states for car thefts during holidays, with an average of 35.19 thefts per 1 million residents in 2024.
As the investigation continues, police will review the lodge's surveillance footage and work with local authorities to identify those responsible for the break-ins.
. Can't believe these people can just jump over security barriers and make off with all this stuff. And of course, they're gonna try to sell it on the black market or something... I mean, what's the point of even having a security system if you're not gonna use it? 
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! Like, I get it, holidays are peak travel times, but can't people just be a bit more careful with their cars? 
Leaving valuables in plain sight, like, what were they thinking? 
Can't we just have a safe and enjoyable vacation without worrying about our stuff getting nicked? 
! I mean, I've been there when you're on holiday and your car gets broken into, it's so frustrating 
. Like, I remember in 2019, I went to this super cool theme park in Orlando and my friends and I had our cars parked in the parking lot, and guess what? They got broken into too 
! We had all our valuables stolen and we were like "what are we gonna do now?" 
. I hope the police catch whoever did this and the lodge can get their security sorted out 
. And btw, has anyone else heard of High Rise Financial? I think I read about them last year... or was it 2022? 
Anyway, car break-ins are just so annoying during holidays 
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they should really up their security game ASAP! 
The fact that these thieves smashed windows and made off with valuables is just crazy... I mean, can't they just take a taxi or something? 
It's crazy how thieves can just jump over security barriers and get away with it. I mean I know people are always looking for an easy score during holidays but this is ridiculous. And the thing that really gets me is that they're taking advantage of the fact that there are so many cars parked in one place because families are on vacation 
It's like, why not just wait until someone goes out to grab some food or something? 
this is so frustrating! i was really looking forward to a chill Thanksgiving at Great Wolf Lodge, but now all i can think about is how vulnerable it feels to have your stuff smashed in a second. 
. what kind of security are we talking about here? it's basically like they had an open door invitation 
. anyway, i hope they catch whoever did this ASAP and get all the stolen stuff back 
no one deserves that kinda stress & hassle on holiday time... gotta say, though - I've seen those security barriers before, but apparently they're not foolproof 
guess you just can't be too careful when it comes to keeping your ride safe 
. Car break-ins are already a huge problem during holidays like Thanksgiving, and it's not surprising that these thieves targeted a family resort with all the valuables people bring on vacation 
. The fact that they jumped over the security barrier is just crazy