Thefts outside day care prompt Moore PD warning to parents

March 04--MOORE -- It's a scene that repeats every weekday morning at day cares across the Moore-Norman area.

Parents drive their vehicles up to the drop-off area, leave the car unlocked briefly to rush their child to the door, or just inside, then rush out. However, no matter how brief that moment seemed for two parents Wednesday, it ended with theft.

Two separate incidents at the same La Petite child care center near Fourth Street and Eastern Avenue resulted in stolen purses, Sgt. Jeremy Lewis with Moore Police Department said. As the parents were taking their children into the building, someone gained access to their vehicles and stole their belongings.

It prompted Moore PD to issue an alert and reminder that residents take care of personal items and safety, particularly when it comes to leaving vehicles unattended while taking children to school.

"We had a couple of people taking their kids to day care, and while they ran inside, someone took their purse," Lewis said. "Since there was two of them, we decided to put that out there."

Remembering to lock the car doors is the simplest way to prevent theft from happening in such a small time window, Lewis said. Beyond that, the Moore PD post suggested parents may be more at ease simply bringing their belongings with them.

"While inconvenient, we would suggest you take your purse with you when you go into a day care, gym, sports field, movie theater, store or anywhere a thief may have access to your vehicle," the post reads.

Lewis said suspects will wait at these locations to try and catch unsuspecting individuals. And sometimes the theft is only the beginning, with check or credit card fraud, and -- though rare -- home burglaries happening later as a result, according to the Moore PD warning.

Sometimes, people looking to commit this type of crime will travel to a place where they are less likely to be recognized, and it often occurs in waves, Lewis said.

"There's people who travel around and do that," he said. "That's why we put it out there. These things happen in patterns."

Adam Troxtell

366-3537

atroxtell@normantranscript.com

Follow me @TranscriptAdam

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