For a few unlucky New Paltz residents, Tuesday morning was especially foul after discovering that their cars had been robbed the previous night.
According to a press release from the New Paltz Police Department (NPPD), the agency is investigating several larcenies from vehicles and a stolen vehicle from the Church Street area. At approximately 9:30 a.m., residents reported valuables stolen from their cars. One resident reported their 2005 Town and Country minivan stolen. This resident could not be identified in time for print.
A number of residents at 54 North Church St. claim to have been the victims of Tuesday’s car thievery. Lisa Sacco, a 21-year-old art education major, was the first to notice that she and her neighbors’ car doors were left slightly ajar and the insides were ransacked.
“I just started freaking out, it was so unsettling,” Sacco said. “It’s such an invasion of privacy for a stranger to go through your stuff like that.”
After searching her vehicle, Sacco discovered that a designer bracelet and her car’s registration were missing. The culprits also looted her boyfriend’s car, which shared the lot, stealing his laptop, backpack and leaving another random backpack in its place.
Soon after, Sacco’s neighbors stumbled upon the crime scene in front of their house. Brock DeGraw, Devin Hogan, Adam Andersen and Maya Stang all own vehicles that were broken into within the same lot.
“I have always felt comfortable, before, leaving my doors unlocked but I really don’t feel as safe anymore,” Andersen said.
The culprits stole watches and loose money, adding up to hundreds of dollars in losses. Luckily Hogan’s car was empty, but found his backpack dumped out on one of the seats.
This marks the second incident in a series of larcenies from vehicles within the last month. A local resident (who asked to remain anonymous) wrote a Facebook post where she claimed that her vehicle was stolen on Oct. 20 of this year. In a follow-up post on Oct. 27, she reported that her car was recovered in the Bronx, with all valuables missing and other stolen items inside. The NPPD press release mentions a stolen vehicle within the last month that was recovered in New York City.
While the NPPD was unavailable for a personal comment on the matter, they urged residents to keep their vehicles locked and valuables inside at night. They ask anyone who has information to contact the department at 845-255-1323.
