MPD: Airport Blvd. car thieves targeting purses

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Mobile Police said businesses and large parking lots along Airport Boulevard are being targeted by car thieves.

In just the last week-and-a-half, police report that dozens of cars have been broken into along the busy thoroughfare.

Police said the suspects are looking for unlocked cars, but are also smashing windows to get what they want.

"We've had patches of vehicle burglaries. One particular business there was four or five another particular business there was four, five or six burglaries recorded," said Cpl. Chris Levy.

Levy said in the last week or so there have been dozens of reports. The suspects are looking for something quick to grab, and Levy said, in many cases it's one thing.

"Appears to be purses taken where they can be seen. One person told us they left the purse on the dashboard when they left the vehicle, it was locked but they left it on the dashboard creating an opportunity," Levy said.

Might sound like a no-brainer, but when you are running into the store for just a few minutes, it can happen. In fact, many of us know at least one victim. For Sylvia Stewart it was her daughter-in-law.

"She lost everything including her checkbook, cell phone, all that data is in there. Then you have to go through all that trouble to get it back and collect all your things," Stewart said.

Levy said detectives are going through surveillance video from the businesses that have cameras. He said they are also looking into the possibility of the break-ins being from the same person or group of people due to the similarities in the crimes.