Just got this in an email from a friend, a purse snatching from a car in Aiea.
This is the reason why Aunty used to have a PO Box listed on the driver’s license – but our State changed it to being our physical place of residence, giving thieves more info to use.
Please be aware and safeguard your personal belongings from the bad ones.
Here is the text:
FYI – May 9th about 3:15 pm, this guy came & grabbed Jayna’s bag (was on her lap) thru the open car window, passenger side! I was sitting in driver’s seat. We were killing time & waited in the shaded area across McDonald’s; had to pickup granddaughter at Aiea Library in an hour & take her to Pearl City for her last band concert.
We got back home around 9:30 pm our house was burglarized!!!
OMG! They had the house key & car key, too!!! My other daughter took my car home, her boyfriend stayed the night, we filed credit fraud alerts. That night Jayna heard a car slowly pause & took off. The next day she brought my car back & I went to Servco Toyota to have my key & car reset. We had the main deadbolts all changed & cameras installed.
Then, 5/11, Saturday this haole man called: found her bag across Kaiser Moanaloa by military housing! cards, license, credit cards there except: money & new glucose monitor, etc.
Then 5/13, this slim haole guy tried to take the car! Jayna heard something & peeked out the kitchen window & saw someone sitting in the car; she also saw the red brake light go on so he was trying to start the car. She called 911 & later told me to sound the car alarrm! Our neighbor came out & saw him run up the street to a parked car & turn left to St. Louis side. (waiting for a part; someone can open car but not start it. Part just came in; will be installed tomorrow.)
Please, please be careful, check your surroundings & stay safe! Tell everyone you know so they can be aware. I don’t want them to go through this, too. These guys work fast. Basically looking for money.
A friend’s mother wasn’t so lucky; they broke in her house, stole her keys & later stole her car!
My Servco consultant said IF you must wait, lock door, windows up, & run the AC! He also advised me to take everything out of the car til it’s completely fixed.
Scary. Be aware. Be safe. Aunty got a little more paranoid, but sometimes paranoid works in our favor.
Thanks for sharing.
Good grief! This is so scary! I’m afraid I’m being too complacent, I guess. I shall have to be a lot more vigilant! Yikes!
That is just terrible. I hope that never happens to me. Thanks for the advice.
Oh my gosh, what a horrible series of experiences to happen to your friends, hope they’ve recovered from the trauma of being victimized repeatedly. Will share this with others, especially those who are waiting in cars or in places like mall parking lots, where panhandlers & thieves roam around looking for easy prey. My husband & I have been approached by adults & teenagers asking for money, in broad daylight while waiting in our cars. They usually use a line like, “I just ran out of gas & need money to get some…”
Best advice is to lock doors & windows with AC on, don’t leave valuables like handbag in sight. Another scam brought to my attention is the one where someone stages a contact & fall with your moving car on the street, then asks for your personal info & money, don’t give any info & CALL the police right away. While the driver called 911, the pretender left the scene before the police arrived who said this is a popular scam on motorists.
There are so many thieves & scams going on, especially against vulnerable kupuna. Mahalo for sharing, we need to hear these reports.
Tutu