Car Break-Ins Probed At Franklin Mills

PHILADELPHIA - A rash of car break-ins targeting shoppers at Franklin Mills Mall has police on alert.

The thieves have scored thousands of dollars worth of items left in parked cars, reported Fox 29’s Dave Schratwieser.

“We went to Toys R Us, we bought $500 worth of gifts, go to Wal-Mart from there. We go in Wal-Mart, we're in there 30 minutes. We come out, windows busted and all the gifts are gone,” recalls victim Kelly Miller.

Burglars last Friday stole presents she had just bought for her 9-year-old son.

Police say with the holiday shopping season in high gear at the Franklin Mills Mall, so are bandits looking to grab a few gifts of their own from cars in the parking lot.

“Either they followed us from Toys R Us and it was a hit-and-run and they have one person in the car while the other person’s in the store,” believes Miller.

Since Friday night, five vehicles belonging to shoppers have been broken into and thousands of dollars in merchandise stolen.

Police say the victims filed police reports claiming all kinds of expensive items have been ripped off while the car owners shopped inside the mall and surrounding stores.

In one case, the thieves got away with $8,000 worth of laptop computers, an electronic notepad, a camera and an iPod.

“Mostly electronics, you see some iPods, some laptops. People leaving Playstations on seats,” says Lt. Frank Vanore of Philadelphia police.

The crimes have taken place despite extensive roving security patrols in the parking lots.

Police say shoppers need to follow some simple advice.

“Resist bringing them back to your car and leaving them on the seat because it's only inviting people like this, you're an easy mark for them,” says Lt . Vanore.

No arrests have yet been made.