CLEVELAND — A night of laughs at the Wolstein Center ended with sadness and frustration for Cory Davis of Garfield Heights.
Davis drove into town last Saturday to see the “We the One's Comedy tour" at Cleveland State University.
After the two-hour show, Davis returned to find her SUV in the parking lot on Prospect Street, which is just down the street from the venue.
"So this is my passenger-side window that they [tried] to shatter," said Davis. "But because of the privacy tint, it didn't break all the way."
Davis added that thieves broke into her vehicle and took items from her glove box and armrest. The total cost for a night out on the town was...
"Over $1,100 in two days," said Davis. "I never carry cash. [That] day I decided to take out cash for parking because I don't like to use my credit card, and it was my mistake. And yeah, just a lesson learned.”
Davis thought parking in the lot would be okay because it had cameras, a gate, and security patrols.
"There's cameras right on the outside, and I was parked back there, and there's a camera like five feet away from my truck," said Davis.
At least nine others had their cars broken into, according to Davis.
“I'm disappointed, and I love Cleveland, and I like to do things, but this experience makes me just think twice," Davis said.
Security and safety expert Tim Dimoff said while Davis did almost everything right, you always take a chance when parking in public.
“Believe it or not, many people don't lock their car. So the first thing is to make sure your car is locked," said Dimoff. "Second thing that's very important is don't leave anything on the seats, on the floor, anything that can be seen by looking in the window.”
Dimoff also advised people to park near the street when parking in an open lot or inside a garage. Parking closer to the street and in good lighting means thieves will not take the chance of being seen by police, the public, and cameras.
And while security cameras are good, Dimoff said it doesn't mean your case will automatically be solved.
"Well, you know, with all the cars that are broken into— which is in the hundreds in any given week in a city like Cleveland— but if it's a break-in and they really don't have any supporting evidence, it's going to be a low priority," Dimoff said.
