Thieves target cars parked in downtown Cairo

Several parked vehicles in downtown Cairo have recently become the targets of thieves, and Cairo police say there are easy steps people can take to keep from becoming victims.
In each incident, victims had left valuables in the vehicles that were easily seen by passersby. Police say that is an open invitation to a thief. “They will take that half second to look and see if there’s something worth stealing,” warns Wandell Asbell, investigator with Cairo Police Department.
On the night of Friday, May 20, two people walked out of the Zebulon movie theater to find a car window smashed and valuables missing. At one vehicle, the thief broke a rear passenger window and got away with a purse and two Nintendo DS’s; and at the second vehicle, the driver’s side front window was broken and a purse stolen.
Then, on Friday, May 27, a Cairo police officer saw a man standing near two parked cars. When the officer returned to the area after riding around the block, the man and one of the parked cars was gone. The vehicle still there had marks on the driver’s window that looked like it had been hit by something. Inside, the officer saw a cell phone and purse lying on the driver’s seat. The officer contacted the owner and informed them of the situation.
Cairo police urge motorists to always remove valuables from their parked vehicles to reduce temptation for thieves.