HENRY COUNTY, Ky. — Authorities in Henry County, Kentucky, are warning the community to keep watch after a string of recent car thefts.
Sheriff Keith Perry posted to Facebook describing a string of car break-ins and stolen vehicles over the last year, calling the suspects a "group of deadbeats" believed to be from Louisville.
He told WHAS11 the department has dealt with two stolen cars and seven car break-ins just this past weekend.
The post said to call 911 if you see something suspicious and then Perry added he highly suggest residents "keep a firearm locked and loaded" and be ready to "shoot to kill" should the suspects break into their homes.
Perry said he doesn't want to see his own citizens getting hurt.
It's a trend law enforcement confirms is getting worse across multiple communities off I-71, not just Henry County, but Oldham County as well: Young adults targeting unlocked cars, and often times, the guns inside them as well.
Video from a Henry County resident's home shows from afar what deputies are concerned about. You can see cars pulling up in a neighborhood at night and people rushing out, and then according to Perry, the suspects check to see what valuables or weapons neighbors have in their cars and whether or not the keys were left inside.
While the most recent incident happened over the past weekend, Perry says it's happened sporadically over the last year throughout the county.
From talks with Louisville Metro Police (LMPD) and Kentucky State Police (KSP), Perry says his office has learned these stolen cars are often getting tracked back to Louisville, where suspects are dumping them.
"I know people here are fed up with it, I'm fed up with it and we want to put a stop to it," Perry said. "In the past year, we've had video where they're actually packing hand guns around as they're breaking into the cars."
Perry is urging his community to be vigilant and protect themselves inside their homes if a break-in happens -- using a gun if necessary.
WHAS11 asked him about the language he used, asking if he could clarify what he wrote.
Isaiah Kim-Martinez: "Can you clarify what you meant when you had mentioned, 'If someone gets into your home, shoot to kill'?"
Sheriff Perry: "Well, that is what I meant. You know, if someone breaks into your home, more than likely they're not there to eat supper with you. They're there to do harm to you or commit a criminal act. I want the citizens to protect themselves, their families. You know, what I said may have sounded a little harsh, but I mean it is what it is. If someone breaks into your home, protect yourself."
We also clarified that Perry was not calling on homeowners to go out and chase suspects down.
"Absolutely not, no," he said. "If you're in your home, stay in your home. Call 911."
And above all else, Perry urges residents to lock their cars, lock up their weapons, and keep them out of reach of being stolen.
Oldham County Police confirm they're seeing very similar issues, saying staffing shortages don't help.
Both agencies say they have leads and are working with state partners to pursue them to eventually make arrests.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.