Henrico Police continue to deal with car break-ins at Deep Run Park

HENRICO, Va. (WWBT) - Since October, the Henrico Police Department has received more than 20 reports of vehicle break-ins at Deep Run Park.

”Ya’ll literally took my whole identity from me that night,” Maria Cruz Garcia Herrera, who had her car broken into on Sunday, said.

Herrera said it all happened in a matter of three hours after she parked her car outside the Deep Run Recreation Center for a friend’s baby shower.

She said during the celebration, someone came into the party to tell everyone her car had been broken into, and so had someone else’s.

“There was a lady that came inside to the event, she was like, ‘oh, my car was broken into,’ she was freaking out,” Herrera said. “So everybody got alarmed, everybody panicked, everybody ran outside.”

Herrera came outside to find her rear driverside window busted out and everything valuable from her purse taken.

“I had my social security card, driver’s license, credit cards, debit cards,” Herrera said.

She said she was in shock because she felt she was already being cautious by wrapping her bag in a blanket and hiding it under her seat.

“I actually use to play in the playgrounds around here, use to walk around the trails,” Herrera said. “I didn’t know at this park things could happen like this.”

Back in January, NBC12 reported how, over three months, Henrico Police were investigating 16 car break-ins at Deep Run Park.

Over a little more than three weeks, HPD said that number has been updated to 21.

Police and Herrera are continuing to remind everyone always to lock their cars and take everything with them.

”Obviously, mine were hidden, somehow, they found it, but I would just advise you to, like, carry your purse and carry everything with you,” Herrera said.

As for her belongings, Herrera asks whoever took them to return them to the police or the recreation center.

“I was just shocked about everything that was going on, and I hope this doesn’t happen to anybody,” Herrera said. “I hope you would have the heart to turn in some of my stuff.”

If you’ve fallen victim to theft, call Henrico Police at (804) 501-5000.

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