PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — O’Hara Township police are sending out an alert after thieves stole from multiple vehicles in the Parkview neighborhood earlier this week. It has woken up the silent community looking for answers.
Jen Walters remains in disbelief more than 48 hours later. She was about to take her daughter to the bus stop down the street around 5:30 a.m. on Election Day, but when she opened her car, she couldn’t believe what she saw.
“Everything was just thrown by our car,” Walters said.
The console and glove compartment were all open. Papers were scattered and personal items were missing.
“I feel violated. It’s horrible,” Walters said. “My daughter had to move things around to sit.”
She called the police and dropped her daughter off at the Parkview fire station, where she learned others were in the same boat.
“There were belongings all over the place,” Walters said.
When Walters arrived home to meet police, she realized more was missing from her trunk, her other car and her husband’s truck. In total, she believes the thieves got away with at least $800 worth of goods.
“There was no rhyme or reason,” Walters said.
O’Hara Police Inspector Jay Davis told KDKA they received at least six complaints about thefts from vehicles in the Parkview neighborhood between Nov. 4 and Nov. 6.
The incidents came a month after similar incidents through Dorseyville and Sharps Hill Roads. At this time, Davis cannot say if the thefts are related, but that they involved unlocked vehicles.
“It was our fault, but we’ve lived here for 20 years and we’ve never locked our cars,” Walters said. ‘We know everyone. Nobody knows how to get here. It’s not an easy place to find.’
Now Walters plans to install an alarm system, purchase lights and cameras and keep everything locked down.
“Everything has changed,” Walters said.
She encourages others to do the same and is just sad that they are where they are now.
“We never felt unsafe, ever, and now we do,” Walters said.
If you have any information about what happened or any suspicious activity on surveillance cameras, you are asked to call O’Hara Police at 412-784-1784.