Neighbors who live along South 18th Street in the South Side Slopes say there has been a rash of car break-ins. Victims say they had locked their car door so they’re not quite sure how these thieves were able to get in.
South Side native Chris Morin says the car break-ins started at the beginning of this year.
Morin said, “I got hit personally 3 times within a matter of probably 10 days.”
Morin says each time, the thieves acted in the overnight hours.
“The first time they just took like change. A couple dollar bills that were in the console. The second time they took a drill, a level, a couple hand tools little things – stuff that I use for work,” Morin said.
By the third time, he says the thieves had already stolen everything of value, but this time they actually left something behind.
“They left a flashlight. It must have fallen on the floor on the driver’s side because when I got in the next day after I cleaned everything up I felt something under my foot and I thought it might have been my phone,” Morin said.
He called Pittsburgh Police to report the break-ins along South 18th Street. After speaking with neighbors – he quickly found out, he wasn’t alone.
Alex Pennay who also had his car broken into said, “About a month or so ago there was like a string on my street and one over there. My car was one of them.”
He had also locked his car but somehow the thieves were able to break in – again in the overnight hours.
“As soon as I got into my car I saw everything was misplaced and I was like somebody was in here,” Pennay said,
Fortunately, he didn’t have anything of value stolen, but his other neighbors on Pius Street weren’t so lucky.
“I have had people up and down this street say their cars got broken into and they had actual stuff stolen,” Pennay said.
Morin had hoped his doorbell camera caught a picture of the thieves – but it did not.
Morin said, “Just a figure in the car bent over in the driver’s seat and by the time I made it – got down the steps and got the front door open they were gone. There was nobody even on the street.”
Neighbors are asking for more police patrols throughout this area to deter the thieves – especially in the overnight hours.
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