Update - DH may have spotted the thief: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

12/14/07 - DH went out to move the SUV this morning (alternate side of the street parking) and as DH was waiting for a parking space he saw this guy trolling the street with shades on although the sun was not yet up. The guy had on a hooded sweatshirt and a coat and he was looking into the windows of each of the cars on the block. DH watched the guy for about 20 minutes to hopefully catch him in the act.

Then the guy got to our SUV and watched it from across the street. DH had the SUV running but he had the seat lowered & the windows are tinted such that DH was not visible. After about 10 minutes of the guy standing on the corner watching our SUV, the guy walked away. DH says the guy must have noticed the steam from the tail pipe and realized someone was in the SUV. He was probably waiting for DH to get out and walk away.

DH followed the guy and saw him take off his shades once he reached the busy street about 1 avenue away from where our SUV was broken into last month. DH made it obvious that he was following him. The guy stood at the bus stop for a bit. Then DH followed him again and the guy jumped into a taxi and left.

12/11/07 Finally got my SUV back. They had to replace the motor in the window as well as the glass and the door panel. The rental was over $1,000 Thank God we have insurance that covered it all.

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11/27/07
We had to move our car from the gated lot due to tree pruning and we alwyas have to park our SUV on the street since we only have the 1 space (waiting list for # 2). DH parked the SUV on the block beside the university which is kind of a dark street and I rarely park there. DH moved the car this morning and when he went to move the SUV at 8 a.m. he found this.................









And it looks like they tried to pry open the door before they broke out the window.....so that means body work & glass replacement


My new Garmn Nuvi 350 GPS was stolen as well as my cell phone car chargers. I guess the thief was not sure which charger went with the Garmin, so they took my Verizon & Motorola chargers too? Or maybe they took them to sell?

A neighbor said she had THREE cars stolen from that block but that was over 10 years ago. Another neighbor said the head lamps in her daughters car was stolen on that same block last week. This same woman says someone also recently stole another neighbors CAR SEAT and a case of similac from their car I have lived here for years and never had an incident.

I know this kind of thing can happen anywhere but I am really considering the burbs more and more.

ETA: Well, it's nearly 4 p.m. and I am finally back home with a rental car. The damage was far more than I thought. Not just the glass but also the door panel (molded and all scraped up due to the broken glass) and the keyless entry panel was pried away from the SUV plus the weather striping for the window needs replacing. So far it's about $1,500 in damages & about $500 a week for the rental car & $400 for my GPS and chargers.

This sux!!!

Photo of the broken keyless entry panel


A portion of the ruined door panel that was damaged from all the glass and maybe the thief scraping it.


And the new rental for a week or two


All I can say is Thank God we have full coverage insurance!!!

People are amazing!!! I cannot believe this over a GPS system and some cell phone chargers.

This started at 8 a.m. and it's finally over until it's time to pick up the truck. Dealing with the police (who didn't do much) then cleaning up the mess & dealing with the body shop & the glass shop was an all day event. At least Enterprise came to pick me up so that was a little less stress.

And we have learned that the street we parked on is "known" for having cars broken in to regularly. We now know of 6 cars that were stolen or vandalized (all neighbors) and the mail carrier says he sees a new pile of glass each week from vandals. I did not even tell him where I parked, he guessed immediately. At least I know better now that I cannot park on that block ever again.

Message edited 12/14/2007 6:09:40 PM.

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

omg Katrina, i'm so mad for you guys!!

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

I'm so sorry

Message edited 8/24/2009 2:11:52 PM.

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

That is really a shame! Sorry this has happened to you!

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

OMG, that's awful! I'm so sorry this happened to you!

I would park the truck in the gated lot for a while... My parents had something similar happen to them and as soon as the window was repaired, the car was stolen -- theif broke the same window. Sometimes they do this glass-breaking / robbery thing to find out how easy it is to get into the car (what will set off the alarm, etc.). They'll stage it like a robbery and take what they can, then they'll come back at a later date to steal the car - at least, this is what the detective told my parents when it happened to them.

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

So sorry! We had the same exact thing happen to our X5 a week before our wedding. This was in Queens right in front of our old apartment. They also took our Garmin, smashed the window, and messed up the side panel.

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

OMG katrina! so sorry sweetie!!!

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

so sorry to hear this happened to you! that really sux.

just a little piece of advice--be careful with the GPS systems---when you get another one. DH says that is one of the #1 reasons ppl break into cars these days--cause of the GPS systems. if they see one in plain sight--they go for it. some ppl try and hide the GPS system in the glove box when they park the car---but they forget that the holder for the GPS that suctions cups to the window is still there---and thieves see that and know there is probably a GPS in the car! so keep this in mind if you get another GPS system

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

I'm sorry this happened to you. People have NO regard for other's property. They just don't seem to care

I always say that "you can't have anything nice." because it's sooooo true!

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

Thanx It was such a crappy thing to happen and honestly, the only real incident of crime I can recall happening to me personally since I moved to NYC in 1996.

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

Message edited 11/27/2007 5:11:43 PM.

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

Posted by MrsPJB2007

so sorry to hear this happened to you! that really sux.

just a little piece of advice--be careful with the GPS systems---when you get another one. DH says that is one of the #1 reasons ppl break into cars these days--cause of the GPS systems. if they see one in plain sight--they go for it. some ppl try and hide the GPS system in the glove box when they park the car---but they forget that the holder for the GPS that suctions cups to the window is still there---and thieves see that and know there is probably a GPS in the car! so keep this in mind if you get another GPS system

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

This totally suckkkks!! Even though you have full coverage, I'm sure you probably have a deductible, so it's likely that you will have to pay something for what these a-holes did. Don't worry though, karma is a biiiiatch.

Message edited 11/27/2007 5:14:48 PM.

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

I'm so sorry this happened to you, MrsT!

DH thinks I'm a real loon when I look for an extra-good parking spot. And I don't even know if it matters. They are really brazen. DH even saw some guys scoping out cars by us, one night. He tried to stop them by keeping an eye on them. They did stop what they were doing, and walked away. I always hold my breath whenever I come back to the spot where I left my car.

I hope everything works out well for you. Hugs.

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

Sorry this happened.

That blows!

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

Im sorry that happened to you.

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

People suuuuck! I am sorry this happened to you.

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

Thanks ladies It sux but I needed that lesson. I have become really lax about living in Brooklyn and have often walked down that same street alone, late at night. I won't do that again nor will I park there at night.

Re: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

Message edited 11/27/2007 8:08:00 PM.

Re: Update - DH may have spotted the thief: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

updated

Re: Update - DH may have spotted the thief: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

That stinks. I try not to leave my GPS in the car if I am in a city-type area and we always keep it in the glove box when we aren't in the car.

Re: Update - DH may have spotted the thief: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

what a SOAB! ugh!
so sorry this happened to you!

Re: Update - DH may have spotted the thief: It's that time of year again.......be careful.......

I can't tell people enough times..do NOT ever leave a GPS or the GPS bracket visible in your car..by doing so, you have just made yourself the easiest target. You might as well leave $500 sitting on your dashboard. Ask me how I know. Luckily I never leave the GPS itself in the car so I only had to get my window and window motor fixed (which my insurance reimbursed to the penny).

Sorry this happened to you.

Now when I park on the street, I pull the backet off the window and tuck it under the seat.

Message edited 12/14/2007 12:56:41 PM.