CARY, N.C. (WNCN) — Four hotel parking lots became the targets for vandals and thieves.

Police told CBS 17 dozens of cars were broken into all across Cary sometime overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. 

Sgt. Kenric Alexander said the Sonesta Select near RDU, the Umstead Hotel, the Hampton Inn off of I-40, and the Hilton Garden Inn near Crossroads Boulevard were all hit. 

CBS 17 crews went to each hotel. 

Cars had the glass windows broken out; there were shattered remnants on the ground, inside the cars, and even in the window wells. 

“Sometimes we see this happening with blunt objects, like a hammer. Sometimes they’ll pick up a rock from brick. Each case is different,” explained Alexander. 

This case is definitely a different one for Cary police.

“What we usually see is cars that are left unlocked. That’s typically where we experience these types of crimes. But now we’re seeing the force entry aspect,” he said. “We’re still looking to see if there is a common link between one or multiple locations.”

At the Hilton Garden Inn, CBS 17 spoke off-camera with several victims who were cleaning up the glass from their cars.

They said at least six of the cars damaged belonged to people who were at the hotel for the work conference.

None of the victims CBS 17 spoke with had anything taken from inside of their vehicles. 

CBS 17 crews counted 10 cars total that were sitting damaged at all four hotels. However, crews were informed some of the cars had already been moved away from the parking lot. 

Alexander said even officers don’t have an exact number of the cars impacted yet.

“There very well could be more vehicles that we just don’t know about because the owners haven’t found them yet,” he explained. 

Police now want people to be prepared, to reduce the risk of this happening to them. 

“Any place in which a large number of people is parking in one general location…that’s where we typically see [these break-ins],” said Alexander. “If you have to visit a hotel, if you have to go to a sporting event, take a moment and just double check to make sure that nothing [valuable] is visible, that everything is hidden.”

Alexander also advised people to park in a well-lit area. Officers are working to obtain surveillance video.