ST. LOUIS – Multiple cars were broken into Saturday night at The Grove. One victim who caught thieves on camera recounts the scare.
“For this very reason, I got a ring camera, and lo and behold, my car gets broken into,” said the car break-in victim.
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, was having a drink at a neighboring bar, Taha’a Twisted Tiki. When she was getting ready to leave, she noticed that she and at least three other cars had their windows smashed.
“It was triggering; it was upsetting,” the woman said. “But to see how close it was to the time they broke into my car, I think it was six minutes to me getting back in.”
The masked man was seen on video rummaging through her car with a gun. Flashlight attached.
He stole a case, which may have looked like a concealed carry to the thief, but it was something much more sentimental.
“These darts were given to me by my family, my first set of darts,” the victim said. “Darts that a really popular player in St. Louis gave me—it’s something that really meant a lot to me.”
The three sets of darts put her out at roughly $600.
A St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department SkyCop camera sits on the popular street to deter criminals, yet car break-ins continue to be an ongoing issue throughout the city.
“My car has been broken into twice, actually Saturday night and also this morning; the rear window was broken into,” said Junior Jr. “I filed police reports, and it’s just constantly going; it’s sad.”
“I’m much more aware; I watch my surroundings,” said Nancy Oshaughnessy. “I also go out to Soulard quite a bit, which also has some crime; you just have to be more aware.”
The frustration of the break-ins lingered long past the 30 seconds it took thieves to break in.