Thieves feel safe in the dark

WASILLA - As daylight has waned, reports of theft from vehicles have waxed in this Valley retail hub.

On Oct. 14, someone stole a purse from a car in the parking lot at Wasilla High School, the next day, someone smashed a window out of a car parked at the Alaska Club and stole a purse and a cell phone.

Later that same day, Wasilla police arrested Robert Casello, 20, of Wasilla for stealing checks and cash from an Anchorage woman's car when it was parked at Cottonwood Creek Mall.

On Oct. 11, someone threw a rock through the front passenger-side window of a blue Dodge Durango parked at the Brett Memorial Ice Rink. On Oct. 12, Stacey Davis reported to WPD someone stole checks from her car and forged them at several local businesses.

&#8220It's that time of year, again,” said Doug Sonerholm, investigator with WPD. &#8220Daylight is the bad guys' enemy.”

As the sun rolls onto the other side of the equator, more people here have to leave their cars in dark parking lots before or after work. The bad guys are out looking, Sonerholm said, and they probably have spent their Permanent Fund Dividend checks by now, too.

Sonerholm had some advice for people who have to leave their cars and trucks parked in the dark.

Whenever possible, park in the most well-lit area, such as under a street lamp, he said. Take your valuables with you, if you can. If you have to leave them behind, at least hide them, he said.

&#8220Most bad guys aren't going to risk going to jail for a car that doesn't have anything of obvious value,” he said. &#8220Lock things in your glove box or trunk or at least cover them up with a

blanket or a coat.”

A vehicle parked in a busy area still is vulnerable, unless you can park it close to a building where you can keep an eye on it, he said.

On Oct. 19, someone stole a wire-feed welder from the back of Martin Brown's pickup truck. Brown reported the theft to police, saying he'd parked at Mr. Lube, where he worked, all day.

It got worse. The next day, employees at Mr. Lube reported someone stole a customer's 1987 red Chevrolet pickup truck. The customer dropped the truck off to have it worked on the day before, according to the police report. The truck was described as having a dent in the driver's door, wood-grain inserts on the box, one sticker that said, &#8220Calvin,” and another that said, &#8220P—on Ford.”

When it was stolen, its Alaska license plate was 564DK.

Sonerholm said other property crimes will start to increase at this time of year, too, as darkness hides scofflaws' bad deeds.

&#8220They're looking for more money to fund whatever their particular problem is,” he said. &#8220It's going to happen and they are going to look for the most vulnerable.”

Contact Mary Ames at 352-2284 or mary.ames@frontiersman.com.