Mountain View Police detectives are seeking additional victims who fell prey to a spree of car burglaries committed last week within a movie theater parking lot.
Car burglars ransacked at least 19 vehicles parked at the Century Cinema 16 theater Friday (Nov. 9) on North Shoreline Boulevard. Detectives believe additional victims have yet to file police reports, so that tally is expected to climb, according to police spokeswoman Katie Nelson.
She referred to the number of incidents committed in a single location as “absolutely ridiculous.”
“It’s very much a crime of opportunity,” Nelson said. “It’s a quick crime. They know what they’re looking for.”
Police officers were first summoned to the parking lot at approximately 8:15 p.m., when a theater customer emerged from a movie showing and noticed his vehicle window had been smashed, Nelson said. As officers spoke to the man, additional people approached them to report that their own vehicles had been targeted.
Of the 19 incidents reported thus far, 18 involved a smashed window, and those cases were classified as auto burglaries. The last vehicle may have been left unlocked, and that case was classified as a theft. In six incidents, nothing was removed from the vehicle.
Based on the report time and a statement from a victim who left his or her vehicle in the lot at approximately 3:45 p.m., officers believe the crimes occurred between 3 and 8 p.m., according to Nelson.
Nelson said the thief or thieves took laptops, smartphones, personal documents and clothing – much of it left in the vehicles in plain sight of passersby. Officers recovered some of the clothing and personal documents discarded nearby during their investigation, and they reunited those items with owners who could identify them.
Lori Mercer lost a Coach bag containing clothing and makeup worth an estimated $500. The burglars accessed her boyfriend’s SUV by breaking the back window as the couple attended the 7:45 p.m. showing of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
“One man lost a computer and his passport,” Mercer said. “He said he was leaving the country on Tuesday, and he didn’t know if he’d be able to make his trip.”
The Mountain View resident said she’s wavered between feeling violated and feeling silly for leaving behind her valuables, though she had concealed them under a car seat.
“I feel like I should be able to do that,” Mercer said. “Clearly I can’t. You just have to empty your car completely. You can’t even leave it in the trunk.”
‘No longer a safe place’
As social media users discussed the theft, the police department posted a warning on its Twitter account Monday.
“We implore you to please remember to take all valuable items with you when you leave your vehicle. If you can, take your items home before you head out for the evening, wherever you are going. #TheMoreYouKnow,” read the tweet.
If valuables absolutely must remain inside a parked vehicle, place them in the trunk or obscure them from view before arriving at one’s final destination, Nelson said. Car burglars casing sites may notice when drivers attempt to hide items before leaving their vehicles.
“A car is no longer a safe place,” Nelson said. “People are going to take advantage when they can.”
At least 77 auto burglaries have occurred in the movie theater parking lot so far this year, according to police department records. As of Tuesday, a total of 489 auto burglars have occurred throughout Mountain View.
Reached by phone Thursday, Century Cinema 16 general manager Tim LaPlante indicated the theater company is cognizant of security issues in the parking lot.
“We are taking steps to improve the situation so it doesn’t happen again,” he said.
Victims who have not yet reported to the police department are encouraged to file a report at mvpd.gov.
