PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A rash of car break-ins is spoiling outings around Wissahickon Valley Park.
It was a lovely summer afternoon when Wendy Carbone pulled into the Bells Mill parking area with the two little girls she watches.
"We rode our bikes all the way down to the restaurant, had an ice cream, stopped for a couple pictures here and there. We had a great day," Carbone said.
Until she returned to her truck and found the window broken.
"Over $2,000 in damage," she said.
It was one of more than 200 vehicle break-ins in the area so far this year, a 25% increase over last year at this time.
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The park is so heavily used, it’s hard to believe a thief could be quick enough to strike in the infrequent lulls of activity, but Carbone found out the hard way.
"I guess they used a crow bar to try to get under the metal where the little button is to unlock your car," she said.
Philadelphia Police 5th District Captain Malachi Jones said the Bells Mill East Parking Area has been particularly hard with auto thefts, as well as the Northwestern Avenue and Gracken Lane lots.
"They do occur with a frequency that we are not happy about," he said. "We believe it may be a couple of groups that are just targeting our park area."
Jones said his officers patrol regularly, but prevention is difficult.
"People are opportunists," said Jones.
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"They know people are parking their cars. They are taking walks or going for a jog, and it only takes a couple of minutes to break in a car and take someone’s belongings."
Jones said officers are working on a tip to try to catch at least one of the culprits. So far, there have been no arrests.
In the meantime, park-goers should be aware of the risks of returning from a day in the park to a crime scene.
The irony for Carbone is that the thieves took only $2, but caused thousands in damage.
The police response left her less than satisfied, too.
She said no one answered when she called 911, so she called two different police districts directly.
According to Carbone, neither directed her to the 5th District, which has jurisdiction over that area.
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