Thieves target vehicles during youth soccer event in Orange

ORANGE, CT (WFSB) – Weekend car burglaries have people in Orange on alert.

Several vehicles were reportedly broken into on Saturday in broad daylight while children played soccer at a park.

Hours after the smash and grabs, the broken glass, and uneasy feelings remained.

“I thought I was in a safe spot,” said Jennifer Fleming, a victim.

Fleming said she was one of about five victims on Saturday.

She watched her son play soccer at Fred Wolfe Park around 5 p.m.

That’s when she said thieves took advantage.

Fleming told Channel 3 that she was just a few hundred yards away from her vehicle.

She heard a commotion in the parking lot.

She said she raced over to her car only to find the window smashed and her purse gone.

“My husband heard an alarm go off, he turned around and saw a guy put his hands up and he immediately got into an SUV and they sped off,” Fleming said.

She said she wasn’t the only victim.

Parents lost wallets, purses, and phones.

“We thought we were in the most safe spot,” she said. “I mean, it’s such a secluded area and there were so many adults around. Granted, we were a few hundred feet away. But they didn’t care. They were brazen and breaking into cars.”

Fleming called police.

She said her purse, along with some cash and credit cards inside of it, was gone.

While she spoke with officers, she received an alert from her credit card company. It notified her of fraud.

“They tried to use a $1,000 at Walmart in Milford just down the road and another $1,500 online, but they were both denied,” she said.

Now, she said she has been on high alert.

“Just to be careful,” Fleming said. “They really wanted things, so keep your things in your trunk. Be vigilant too. I think from now on people are going to be turning around and checking the parking lot.”

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