True crime: Burglary of a motor vehicle

The Victim: Sasha Blevins
The Crime: Burglary of a motor vehicle
Date: Wednesday, April 17
Time: Between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Location: 700 block of Lawther

Smash, grab and go.

Sasha Blevins and her fiancé had been out for a walk around White Rock Lake. The wonderful spring weather made for a nice outing, and with recent rain, everything was green. It should have been a perfect day for a young couple planning their August wedding.

But as the couple returned to their car, they found an all-too-common scene. Someone had smashed the right front window and made off with Blevins’ purse, which included her bank card, Social Security card, cell phone, and personal papers.

“It happened virtually right in front of our eyes, but we didn’t even notice,” says her fiancé (who spoke about the crime, but asked not to be identified).

The couple had noticed a man parking near their car even though the parking lot was almost empty, but they didn’t think he was there for criminal reasons. Looking back, however, they believe he may have been waiting for them to be out of sight just long enough to smash, grab and drive away.

Dallas Police Sgt. Keitric Jones of the Northeast Patrol Division says the average time for an auto break-in to occur is less than 30 seconds and that it is important to make every effort to make your car look empty so criminals look elsewhere.

“Unfortunately, even normally nice areas, such as White Rock Lake, are subject to crime,” he says. “A criminal will break a $150 window for the quarter that was left in the cup holder. The basic idea is to leave your vehicle looking from the outside the same way it was the day it was first built. If it looks like there is something of value inside, an enterprising criminal will want to steal it.”