Police warn of car break-ins in front of a haunted house in the city center

SALT LAKE CITY — Anyone who visits a haunted house on Friday night might witness a spooky sight. Salt Lake City police said there has been a recent string of car break-ins outside the Fear Factory downtown and they don’t want you to become a victim.

To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, the police have some advice and Fear Factory offers an alternative.

“Since Sept. 1, we have seen about 20 carjackings in this area,” said Dalton Beebe, a Salt Lake City police investigator.

The break-ins occurred along the entire 800 South 600 West. Both the police and Fear Factory are concerned about this.

“We take it seriously. We want everyone to have a good time and stay safe while they’re here,” said Rob Dunfield, co-owner of Fear Factor.

To avoid worrying about cars parked there, they offer a free zombie shuttle bus that picks people up from the south end of Gateway Mall every 30 minutes, so people can park in the Gateway parking garage instead without fear of a break-in have to have.

“This is something we did to eliminate some of the street parking and make it more convenient for people,” Dunfield said.

Car thefts in haunted houses were not common throughout the city. Nightmare on 13th has its own parking lot and is break-in-free.

“We have paid parking attendants on staff every evening who patrol the parking lots and monitor everything. That’s why we have over 80 cameras throughout our property,” said Jake Mabey, general manager of Nightmare on 13th.

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Wherever you go in search of a spooky evening, police say it’s smart to take precautions. The police recommend always locking your car and keeping valuables out of sight.

“Don’t leave your keys in the vehicle, windows rolled up, and if you see anything suspicious, call us,” Beebe said.

According to police, the number of car break-ins across the city has decreased compared to 2023. To combat the increase in recent weeks, police are increasing their patrols to ensure the only thing to be afraid of is what’s in the haunted house, not where you park your car.