Authorities dispatched to several popular Park City destinations during the crime spree. Parking lots at the Basin Recreation Center, Woodward Park City, Round Valley, Westgate and Willow Creek were all the scenes of smash and grab crimes. Several instances of attempted fraud at local stores followed the vandalism and thefts.
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According to the Summit County Sheriff’s report, one victim left her car for 15 minutes in the Basin Rec. parking lot and returned to find her window was smashed and purse stolen.
As she was filing the report with a deputy, she received a notification that a fraudulent purchase attempt was made with her credit card at Smith’s grocery store. Deputies attempted to locate the suspect at the store but were unsuccessful. They are investigating the security footage Smith's provided.
A similar crime happened at Woodward, with a rear car window smashed and multiple bags and credit cards stolen. Within minutes of the crime, the victims saw charges on their credit cards from Walmart. The store's loss prevention team was able to give deputies a description of that suspect.
According to the sheriff’s office, four of the crimes are related and there is an ongoing investigation.
The sheriff’s office said smash and grabs are becoming more frequent in town. Law enforcement encourages people to take personal belongings out of their cars or at least place them somewhere not visible when leaving them unattended.