MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Police are investigating a recent string of thefts in which they believe that parents, particularly mothers, are being targeted at day care centers.
Thieves are targeting vehicles parked outside KinderCare facilities, police said. At least two cases have been confirmed in Mount Lebanon, two more in Ross Township and at least three in Moon Township.
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In some cases, the thieves have smashed windows to break into the vehicles and take what's inside.
A woman's purse was stolen last week from the front seat of her SUV, which was parked outside a KinderCare in Mount Lebanon. A similar theft happened on the same day at one of the day care centers near Ross Park Mall.
Ross Township Police Sgt. Ben Dripps said the main targets seem to be parents who leave valuables like purses and wallets in their vehicles while dropping off or picking up their children.
"I'm sure mothers are out there thinking, 'I have five minutes, I need to get in here and I need to get out. No big deal, I'll leave the purse in the car,'" Dripps said.
A mother who is concerned that women are being targeting outside her child's day care in Moon Township reached out to Channel 11 News on Wednesday to get the word out.
"Your cellphone, all your pictures, cash, credit cards, personal information are out there. Definitely not a good feeling," Jennifer Innamorato said.
Innamorato told Channel 11 News that she feels robbed not only of her belongings, but also her sense of security.
"When you're at day care and dropping your kids off, there are so many other things you're focused on," she said.
Innamorato said that when she returned to her car after dropping off her children, ages 1 and 2, last Thursday at the KinderCare in Moon Township on Grant Drive, her purse was gone.
"At first I thought I had left it at home, but it was not at home," she said.
Innamorato canceled her credit cards just in case, but the thief had already tapped into her funds, withdrawing $2,500 from her bank account. She said she's not the only parent who has had something taken.
"I know that there were other people that were hit that have had fraudulent charges," Innamorato said.
She's now sharing the very advice that she wishes she had taken herself in the hopes of keeping someone else from becoming a victim.
"Everybody knows when you leave your car, you should lock it. If you have personal items, you should conceal them," Innamorato said.
KinderCare has also taken action amid the theft reports. In a letter to its customers, the day care said it's "decided to temporarily add security to all centers in the morning and afternoon" as a precaution to prevent any future incidents.
Police in Mount Lebanon said that in the last few weeks, cash and credit cards have also been stolen from vehicles at other locations, including Bird Park.