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Thieves smash car windows and steal purses across Lodi
The thief moved quickly. After picking a vehicle, the culprit quickly smashed a window, grabbed a purse off the adjacent seat and fled.
Eight times it happened during a few hours Wednesday night in Lodi, enough to make police that it wasn't just an occasional burglary, as they often see.
"In each case, it's women getting out of their cars without their purses, so (the thieves) are probably watching them," Lt. Virgil Monroe said Wednesday night after officers noticed the higher-than-normal burglary rate.
Two vehicles were burglarized at a gym. Several others happened at schools.
Police have few leads, though a white van without side windows was seen leaving a gym at the time of the burglaries there, Monroe said.
Monroe was dispatched at 5:56 p.m. to a burglary call at a church, where he met the victim at her sport-utility vehicle. Plenty of daylight hadn't deterred the thief.
"She said, 'I was only in there for 10 minutes to pick up my kids,'" Monroe said.
But that's all the time thieves need, and Monroe warned residents against leaving valuables in cars — especially in plain sight.
Most of the victims are now dealing with possible identity theft, since the thieves took purses containing credit cards, checkbooks and driver's licenses. Some also got away with cameras, a music player and sunglasses.
Lodi Police are investigating a rash of burglaries that all occurred within a few hours on Wednesday night. The thief, or thieves, smashed car windows and grabbed purses and other personal items from the vehicles. (Marc Lutz/News-Sentinel)
Christina Moreno was one of the lucky ones. The mother of two left her diaper bag on the back seat of her car when she got to Kofu Park on Ham Lane, but she took her purse with her.
She went to her son's baseball practice, then got back to her vehicle around 6:30 p.m. The window was smashed and the diaper bag was gone.
About 40 minutes later, someone found the bag on nearby Park Street, so Moreno got that back, too.
However, she has to spend $150 to fix her window, and insurance won't help since she has a $500 deductible.
"All day today, everywhere I go I think, 'OK, make sure there's nothing in sight in my car,'" Moreno said Thursday.
That's what police regularly advise vehicle burglary victims. It's far safer to take valuables with you than leave them in a car, locked or not.
For those who must stash something in the trunk, don't put it there and then leave the vehicle, since would-be thieves might be watching. Instead, stow the item before driving to the next stop.
Burglaries at a glance
Wednesday's vehicle burglaries, and the times they were discovered:Source: Lodi Police Department
Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.
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Reader Feedback
Lodian wrote on May 8, 2009 11:38 AM:
" I don't think people are responsible for being preyed upon, however, there are hordes of people who make it "easy" for crime to happen. "
There are a lot of good citizens out there that do not have criminal minds (and don't always think of all the twisted things criminals might do) and think that their valuables (purse backpack etc) will be okay if it's put in the back of the SUV (trunk). It is not an outlandish idea to expect ones things to be there when they get back. "
Robb wrote on May 4, 2009 7:04 PM:
Lodian wrote on May 4, 2009 11:36 AM:
" Really Lodian,
I need to give you examples for you to believe it? There's people everywhere who invite crime. "
Yes, Brian, give me an example on how a woman putting her purse in the back of her SUV is inviting crime. "
Lodian wrote on May 4, 2009 11:34 AM:
BOMBOVA: That's a thoughtful comment. Unfortunately, many here seem to have the idea that victim's of crime "ask for it". The same sort of mindset that thinks a woman wearing a short skirt is asking to be raped. They think that a woman leaving a purse in the back of an SUV (aka trunk) is asking for crime against them. Perhaps they will continue to think this way until they become victims of such a crime themselves. It's hard to believe that people still blame the victim. "
BOMBOVA wrote on May 3, 2009 6:17 PM:
As for me, i am up for the spicy kind, she is temperamental, good looking, lovely smile, and can beat the crap outta me if she wanted to. How about yourself? Guys lets keep the ladies and their valuables safe. "
edumacation wrote on May 3, 2009 4:59 PM:
Now for the hypothetical. If you place a tender morsel of goodness---whether it be a CHUNKY bar or a taco, on the seat of your vehicle, you have a reasonable expectation that it will remain until you return. Correct? Now if your appetite is different than most tweaker-thieves, you have the right to "flavor" it the way YOU want. Well now what is a flavor? Get my drift? It could be spicy or sweet---but whatever it is---its YOUR BUSINESS. It might be something that only rodents enjoy? I bet if they take the RAT bait, they will NEVER be back? What do you think? "
Lodian wrote on May 3, 2009 1:22 PM:
dyan wrote on May 3, 2009 10:12 AM:
Brian wrote on May 3, 2009 9:32 AM:
I need to give you examples for you to believe it? There's people everywhere who invite crime. "
Lodian wrote on May 2, 2009 8:49 PM:
How about some examples, Brian. "
Brian wrote on May 2, 2009 4:47 PM:
in case I beat my mom or my brothers home after school. To this day, I've never lost any keys. Hide a key should only be an occasional thing. "
Brian wrote on May 2, 2009 4:38 PM:
" T & C wrote on May 1, 2009 9:43 AM:
" A woman who leaves her PURSE or other valuables in PLAIN VIEW for someone to Smash and Grab, to me is NOT very bright! "
I see that T & C is jumping right in here to blame the victim, again! "
-Lodian, don't you ever get tired of being an irritant? There are irresponsible people out there who do invite crime. Of course you have the inside scoop that NONE of these people were being irresponsible. FYI, Lodi is still full of a lot of complacent people who think criminals restrict their activities to Stockton. Wake up! "
S & W 500 wrote on May 2, 2009 12:02 PM:
Lodian wrote on May 1, 2009 11:37 PM:
"Lodian, I tell my wife that if she's dumb enough to leave her purse, in plain view, in MY car, she's paying for the window! There's no excuse to do that. That's what the trunk is for."
Most of us know we should put our things out of site (remember those portable GPS systems too) when leaving them in the car, but these thieves were taking things from under the seat and in the back of suv's (aka the trunk). "
WingIt wrote on May 1, 2009 10:45 PM:
ROFL Yeah right.. "
Cogito wrote on May 1, 2009 10:24 PM:
RADMAN1 wrote on May 1, 2009 8:27 PM:
RADMAN1 wrote on May 1, 2009 8:25 PM:
S & W 500 wrote on May 1, 2009 8:24 PM:
OTH wrote on May 1, 2009 5:00 PM:
Maybe deserve is too strong a word. How about "asking for it?" It only takes these little maggots 30 sec to smash and grab and they're gone. People who start their car and then go back in the house, it's the same principle. Someone's always watching for an opportunity. I watch people go by my house scoping out open garages and back gates. "
Lodian wrote on May 1, 2009 3:55 PM:
" A woman who leaves her PURSE or other valuables in PLAIN VIEW for someone to Smash and Grab, to me is NOT very bright! "
I see that T & C is jumping right in here to blame the victim, again! "
Lodian wrote on May 1, 2009 3:54 PM:
Really, OTH... they "deserve it"? "
T & C wrote on May 1, 2009 3:51 PM:
T & C wrote on May 1, 2009 3:49 PM:
BOMBOVA wrote on May 1, 2009 10:21 AM:
T & C wrote on May 1, 2009 9:43 AM:
Wowerzz wrote on May 1, 2009 9:25 AM:
OTH wrote on May 1, 2009 9:01 AM:
stucknlodi wrote on May 1, 2009 8:32 AM:
al da long wrote on May 1, 2009 7:14 AM:
the larson elementary one, we have to thank the school for their automated calling feature that tells every parent, "tonight we are having blah blah" so the thug thinks, mmm cars+moms=$$. "
Comments on this story are now closed.