Car burglars target area near new waterfront trail
At least four vehicles parked on Fuhrmann Boulevard — some of them parked near Buffalo’s newest waterfront walkway — were targeted by a smash-and-grab thief over the weekend, according to police reports.
All of the break-ins involved stolen purses, but it is unclear whether the incidents were committed by one or more thieves.
The addresses indicate that some of the vehicles were parked in lots and on the street near the Greenway Nature Trail, a 6,400-foot walkway along the Lake Erie shoreline, which officially opened Thursday. The trail runs from the former Pier restaurant around the Bell Slip and ends near the Port of Buffalo’s Terminal B building.
A Lancaster woman parked her 1996 Dodge in the 700 block of Fuhrmann on Sunday, and someone smashed the front window at about 4:30 p. m., police said. The thief stole the woman’s purse, containing $140, cell phone and her credit card.
Around the same time and in the same block, a Hamburg woman told police that someone smashed the window of her 2001 Nissan and stole her purse from under the seat. The purse contained several credit cards, along with $100 and a cell phone.
Saturday, a man told police his car was parked in the 500 block of Fuhrmann between 10:10 and 11:15 a. m. when a thief broke the passenger-side window of his 2007 Toyota and stole his wife’s diaper bag, containing a cell phone and credit cards.
In the fourth incident, a Cheektowaga woman was parked in the 1100 block of Fuhrmann when someone broke the passenger-side window sometime between 6:30 and 7:30 p. m. Friday, police reported. The thief stole the woman’s purse, containing her wallet, $5, credit cards, bank cards, driver’s license and medication.
The weekend thefts occurred at the same time Buffalo police were advising motorists about the perils of leaving valuables — particularly electronic items like GPS devices and iPods — in plain sight in parked vehicles.
Police also warned motorists to place valuables in the trunk before arriving at their destination in order to thwart thieves who may be watching parking lots to identify potential targets.
