Groton — It was eight days ago that a thief or thieves struck residences near the Naval Submarine Base in the dead of the night, coming away with not one but two motorcycles.

In light of the July 19 double-theft, which brought the town’s stolen motorcycle total to four so far this year, Groton Town police are asking motorcyclists to be vigilant in storing their bikes and residents to be on the lookout for suspicious behavior.

“Every spring and summer, we try to remind all motorcycling enthusiasts that just because their bikes are out of sight doesn’t mean people don’t know they’re there,” Lt. John Varone said.

“We recommend, if you can’t bring it indoors, that you chain your bike to something secure and put up motion-detection lights on your property,” he said.

“If someone seems to be taking a little more interest in your bike than usual,” Varone added, “you should be suspicious of that.”

Varone said having four reported motorcycle thefts at this time of year is a little low.

Still, noting how easy it is to steal a motorcycle, he reiterated that residents should be wary.

Those who steal bikes, he said, typically “pop” the steering lock, remove the bike from the premises and then either hotwire it or put it in a waiting van or truck — “they load up and they’re gone in a matter of seconds,” Varone said.

From there, Varone explained, some people modify the bike, adding parts or giving it a paint job before riding it.

Others take parts from the stolen motorcycle and add them to a different motorcycle.

“Most larcenies are crimes of opportunity,” Varone said. “With motorcycles, I don’t think that’s the case. I think there’s a specific targeting of motorcycles that people like or want. Unfortunately, unlike a car, motorcycles are a lot easier to hide.”

Despite the challenges associated with solving stolen motorcycle cases, Groton Town police on July 19 arrested 29-year-old Daquawn Marquese Knight in connection with a case they’ve been working on since late 2014.

Knight, whose last known address was 227 Ledyard St., New London, is facing a charge of second-degree larceny for his alleged role in the Oct. 29, 2014, theft of a 2013 Suzuki motorcycle.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit written by Groton Town police Officer Eric D. Korteweg, DNA is what linked Knight to the $15,500 motorcycle.

In the affidavit, Korteweg explained that the Suzuki bike went missing sometime between 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29, 2014, and 7 a.m. Oct. 30, 2014.

Although an eyewitness told police she saw someone driving a bike that fit the Suzuki’s description around 11 p.m. Oct. 29, she said the biker was wearing a dark helmet and couldn’t describe him or her beyond that.

Then, on Nov. 4, 2014, Waterford police found the bike — heavily damaged and with a drilled-out ignition — lying in the brush just off the path that leads to the lower Connecticut College campus.

Surrounding it were red gloves, a red jacket, a black helmet and a screwdriver.

According to the affidavit, tests performed by the Connecticut Division of Scientific Services showed in January that Knight — a convicted felon whose DNA already was in the system — was “a contributor to the DNA” found on portions of all of the recovered items.

His DNA also matched DNA found on the surface of a stolen license plate that had been attached to the motorcycle, the affidavit states.

New samples collected from Knight in February and sent to the state lab in May confirmed the Connecticut Division of Scientific Services’ earlier report, according to the affidavit.

Knight, who posted a $2,000 cash bond, is scheduled to be arraigned in New London Superior Court on Aug. 1.

“We’re not the only town to suffer from this,” Varone said. “Detectives and officers, we bring the thefts up in area meetings and try to coordinate on investigations.”

Local law enforcement officers sometimes work with surrounding states on cases, too, Varone said.

“It’s so easy for someone to come in from Rhode Island or New York and steal our motorcycles,” he said. “By time the owner finds the bike missing, it could be in Rhode Island, Massachusetts or New York.”

l.boyle@theday.com