RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Mo. — A St. Louis woman is warning holiday shoppers to secure their bags after catching a man apparently burglarizing vehicles at the Galleria on Saturday afternoon.
“Tis' the season for thieves as well," she said.
She wishes to remain anonymous for her safety after she and a friend recorded a man wearing an orange sweatshirt break into two vehicles.
"He had punched or hit the glass to on car,” she said. “The alarm was going off.”
While her friend rolled the camera, she was on the phone with police.
"He went to his car with the package and he drove off,” she said. “He didn't speed off, he drove off very casually."
The man was driving a silver Cadillac.
"Broad daylight,” she said. “The last person you would expect with this bright orange sweatshirt on is the person breaking into your car, stealing your gifts."
A bold move that boils her blood.
"You already have to be careful these days but now you have to be even more careful.”
She regrets initially hesitating to report the suspicious man. She said she’s going with her gut reaction next time and reporting anything that looks suspicious. She advises everyone to take extra precautions when shopping this holiday season.
Larry Pickett who was at the Galleria on Sunday takes several precautions to protect his valuables.
"I will put my gifts inside the trunk,” Pickett said. “If I have my truck, I'll put it inside the bed. Out of sight, out of mind keeps people honest."
The woman said Richmond Heights police know the identity of the man in the video. The investigation is ongoing.
