A rash of car break-ins at beach parking spots in Naples Tuesday evening left people scrambling to repair damaged windows, and closing bank accounts. Naples police reports say that thieves entered 7 vehicles by force between 6th Avenue South and 18th Avenue South while their owners were enjoying the beach.
The vehicles were all parked at spots where the streets dead-end at the beach. The crooks got away with almost $9,500 worth of valuables.
Ellen Rubin of Naples told Fox 4 that she returned to her Toyota parked on 13th Avenue South near the Naples Pier around 7 p.m. after a visit to the beach. She didn't notice anything was amiss until she got behind the wheel.
"I reached back for my pocketbook, which I knew I had placed on the floor behind the passenger seat, and simultaneously realized I had my hand in the middle of a bunch of broken glass," Rubin said.
Her purse was missing, containing her credit cards, checks, driver's license and cell phone.But she said that the worst part of the experience was the feeling of helplessness.
"You just suddenly feel very vulnerable," Rubin said.
Other vehicles were broken into on 6th, 16th, 17th, and 18th Avenue South in the same time frame, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Windows were broken to gain access to valuables in those vehicles also.
All of the victims told police that they want to press charges. Detectives are still investigating.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Naples Police Department at 239-213-4844.
