Recent Spate Of Smash-And-Grab Car Break-Ins Has Kew Gardens Residents Spooked
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- More than a dozen cars were ransacked in one quiet neighborhood in Queens, and some drivers still have no idea why they were targeted.
Shattered windows, one right after another, lay strewn along Forest Park with bits of glass in the street, on the grass, and all over cars' interiors.
"It's really kind of rocked the community," Kew Gardens resident MK Moore told CBS2's Ali Bauman.
Moore counted 20 vandalized vehicles Tuesday morning, and asked around to neighbors.
"I think some people lost an old cell phone and change," Moore said. "This was not a high crime kinda thing."
Multiple glove boxes were torn apart. CBS2's crew even found a center console that had been ripped out and thrown to the ground nearby.
"It's desolate," Kew Gardens resident Carmelo Varela said. "Criminals come and look for opportunities."
Adding insult to injury, all the rain this week made damages to the cars even worse.
"Their cars have been rained into all week and I'm sure those people aren't even aware until they see your broadcast that their car was broken into," Moore said.
Police put fliers on windshields Wednesday night, warning residents of the break-ins. Many drivers say the crime spree has them afraid to park in Forest Park, but the alternatives are too pricey.
"Parking in Kew Gardens runs 300 dollars a month, so people park here," Moore said.
"This is pretty much it," resident Malini McDonald said. "This is like our parking garage."
For now, police are asking residents to not leave anything valuable in cars -- especially overnight.
