ST. LOUIS — On Sunday morning, drivers who parked on one South St. Louis street returned to burglarized and vandalized cars.
The extensive damage happened around 5:30 a.m. Sunday in the 4100 block of Magnolia near Tower Grove Park, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed. Police initially responded to reports of multiple car break-ins.
Drivers who parked there overnight told 5 On Your Side that they were fed up and frustrated by the damage. Drivers also shared that they hadn't noticed anything significant stolen. They noticed things like hand lotion missing and the middle consoles had been rummaged through.
The scene was a sight to see with nearly two dozen car windows, almost exclusively on the driver's side, shattered. In its place were garbage bags, cling wrap, and duct tape, according to people who live in the nearby apartments.
The drivers said it was a neighborhood event and they had never seen so many broken windows on such a large scale.
"It's very sad that you can't even park on the city street without having something happen to your car," Karen Phillips, who parked on Magnolia Avenue Sunday afternoon but thankfully wasn't impacted, said. "Very sad."
Shona Phillips was in Tower Grove Park on Sunday with her mom Karen, both driving in from Overland and were shocked by what they saw.
"St. Louis hasn't been like this, this whole time," Shona said. "I remember coming down here in the 80s and it was totally safe. We could be down here after dark and it was totally safe."
Drivers were left to pick up the pieces and call insurance agencies to file their claims.
Police said a report is being prepared but is incomplete.
"I won't come down here without a club on my steering wheel," Shona said. "I mean, I just won't."
Anyone who has information is asked to contact the St. Louis Police South Patrol Division Station at 314-444-0100.