BEAVERTON, Ore. (KOIN) — Beaverton police know exactly what one car prowler suspect looks like, thanks to a dashcam that caught him in the act.
The woman whose dashcam recorded the crime lives at the Sorrento Bluff Apartments in Beaverton. She told KOIN 6 News one of her neighbors noticed one of her car’s doors was hanging wide open on Friday morning.
Prowlers appeared to have spent the previous night combing the parking lot, looking for unlocked cars. The woman’s motion-activated dashcam caught one prowler completely by surprise.
“It starts recording without any light but, after 10 seconds, the light comes on and he was startled — him and his friends,” said the car’s owner, who wanted to remain anonymous.
And the dashcam may have done more than record the suspect: it also may have prevented a potential theft. The woman said nothing was stolen from her car.
She added her Owlcam dashcam is “worth every penny.”
The woman handed the recording over to officers, who she said told her they “don’t normally get these kinds of criminals on camera.”
Beaverton police said 2 people filed reports about car break-ins in the area but several other neighbors posted on social media about their vehicles also being rummaged through.
Residents in the area are angry about the invasion of their personal space and belongings.
“It’s horrible,” said a nearby neighbor. “You feel violated, you feel like you can’t trust anyone or anything.”
They hope the video helps lead to an arrest.
“I’m just glad that it’s getting the attention that it’s getting,” the victim said. “I’m all about making sure people don’t get away with stuff.”
Officers reminded the public to always lock car doors.
Or, consider investing in a motion-activated dashcam.
