Bellevue residents report vehicle break-ins throughout the community

BELLEVUE, Pa. — When Nikki Day left her house on Sunday, she knew something was wrong.

“I realized when I approached the vehicle that it wasn’t locked, and I always lock it, always, always, always,” she said.

There’s no sign of forced entry, but the inside of her car was ransacked. The glove box was open. The center console was open with contents thrown about.

“Everything was unloaded from it and sitting in the driver and passenger seats,” Day told Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek.

Her visors were down, and her younger sister’s wallet was missing.

She called her sister, but it wasn’t her who went into the car.

“Her wallet had, of course, maybe $25 in cash, but a slew of credit cards that once we figured out what was going on and that her wallet was gone, there was charges on them at a 7-11 not too far from here, which is why we know when the timeframe, because they were at 5 a.m., the charges,” Day said.

She’s not the only one who had her car broken into in the Bellevue area. Another woman posted doorbell video on the Nextdoor app showing her car being broken into last Wednesday.

“People just don’t seem to care anymore; that’s the problem,” said neighbor Mike Peterson.

Day said a detective with Pittsburgh Police called her after our interview and said her belongings were found in a stolen car that was taken from the North Side and contained multiple people’s stolen items.

She said detectives told her they believe it’s a repeat offender group of juveniles involved between the ages of 10 and 17-years-old.

Channel 11 contacted Pittsburgh Police, but our email has not been returned yet due to the holiday.

Day said she’s going to be even more vigilant.

“I’ve been given tips from the police as well as neighbors about, there’s I believe they call it RDF blocking baskets and bags and things like that,” she said. “I think that’s probably the best we can do which is really a shame when you have to not only replace the things you’ve stolen, but now you have a new laundry list of expenses that you need to feel safe in your own neighborhood.”

If your car was broken into, you’re asked to call the police at 412-766-6165.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW