HUDSON HEIGHTS — Many Uptown residents woke up to an unwelcome surprise on Wednesday. Dozens of cars parked on a block-long stretch of Cabrini Boulevard had been broken into overnight, their windows smashed and doors dented in a repeat of a similar incident from July.
More than 20 car owners filed police reports about the incident, which took place on the block of Cabrini north of West 190th Street, according to a police source. A visit to the block revealed 22 cars with missing windows. In 16 other places, piles of shattered glass indicated there might have been additional break-ins, with the damaged cars moved. Cars on both sides of the street were damaged.
This summer, three teens were arrested for breaking into 18 cars in one night on the same stretch of Cabrini. A police source said it was unclear how many suspects were involved in the most recent incident.
“It’s frustrating to know that there is this place that is being targeted over and over again,” said Jim Donohue, 51, who had a few rolls of quarters stolen from his red Volkswagen.
Donohue said this was the third time his car has been broken into on this stretch of Cabrini Boulevard in the past 10 years. However, he said parking in the neighborhood is so limited that he sometimes has no other options.
Josh Harding, 34, said he's also wary of parking in this area.
“I try to avoid it," he said. "I avoid parking anywhere with no apartment buildings nearby."
This stretch of Cabrini Boulevard is particularly isolated, with the back of the Mother Cabrini shrine and Success Academy to the east and a steep, wooded hill to the west.
As car owners gathered to assess the damage, many found that few items were missing from their cars.
Jon Shiffman, 29, said the thief left expensive musical equipment, his GPS and a Bluetooth device untouched.
Elizabeth Lorris Ritter said a pair of like-new Timberland boots were still sitting in her son’s car despite the break-in.
Harding said thieves took his GPS, a phone charger and some medication from the glove compartment. However, he later found the GPS device in the grass a few feet away from his car.
Some speculated the attack was more vandalism than theft, noting that several cars had large dents in addition to broken windows.
“I just don’t get how this is anyone’s idea of a good time,” Lorris Ritter said.
There was no information available on suspects; however, police did find blood inside one of the vehicles, a police source said. They planned to perform a DNA test.
Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez visited the scene, noting that the area is a chronic problem. Rodriguez said he's open to allocating capital funds to install video cameras along this stretch of Cabrini Boulevard and is discussing the possibility with the 34th Precinct, he said.
“We have to get a solution,” he said. “This is a hardworking community and to see that more than 35 cars have been broken into, it’s just a crime.”
