True Crime

The Victim: Amy Moore
The Crime: Burglary of a motor vehicle
Date: Thursday, Jan. 20
Time: Between 8:15 p.m. and 9 a.m.
Location: 10600 block of Lake Haven

Someone snatched the wedding shower gifts.

Amy Moore had been planning a wedding shower for a friend. She was the chief organizer for the shower, and also had the honor of being a bridesmaid in her friend’s upcoming nuptials. The happy date was approaching, and Moore had purchased a few gifts, including some champagne glasses for the festivities.

Unfortunately, one unlucky night she happened to leave the shower items in her car. And a thief took advantage — grabbing her gifts and some other property, including a fly-fishing rod, a few pairs of pants, an iPod, and even two bags of clothes she was donating to Goodwill.

“I had just gotten in the car that morning, and I drove to the stop sign, and realized all our stuff was gone,” Moore says. “It was really scary. You just feel violated.”

The thief had easily entered her car parked in front of her home in the L Streets neighborhood. Moore says she must have accidentally left her car unlocked as there were no signs of forced entry and the car has an alarm.

“I feel really safe in my neighborhood,” she says. “I just feel bad I didn’t lock it.”

Dallas Police Lt. Mackie D. Ham of the Northeast Patrol Division says it is very important to secure all items in a car — either by removing them, hiding them, or leaving them in the trunk. Visible valuables make easy targets for people with unscrupulous intentions, he says.

“Do not leave property inside of your vehicle. If valuables must be left in a vehicle, store them inside of the trunk where they are not visible,” Ham says. “Sometimes we have trunks that are broken into, but more often than not the suspects will just take items from the main inside portion of the vehicle where items are readily accessible.

“If you do not have any visible items inside of your vehicle, there is a very good chance that suspects will bypass your vehicle and go to another vehicle where there is visible property. Suspects are looking for items that they can quickly remove within a matter of seconds.”

Crime Numbers

$480

Total value of items stolen after someone broke into a vehicle in a parking lot at Presbyterian Hospital.

02.06

Date when a driver noticed his disabled vehicle had been stolen from the street at Northwest Highway and Central; The 2000 Chevrolet pick-up was valued at $2,980.