NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Its one of the most popular parks in Nashville. Percy Warner features more than a thousand of acres of nature trails and is a popular place for any outdoor enthusiast. But, it has also caught the attention of the wrong people.
"What they're looking for is your wallet, your ID where they can sell them, where people can set up fake identities, take out loans in your name," Nashville Metro Police Captain Chris Taylor said.
On Saturday, August 8th, eight vehicles parked at Percy Warner were broken into.
"These groups will come through and look for a certain area and they know, they travel the southeast and then they hit, in this instance Warner. They'll go through, they'll take as many as they can in a 30, 40 minute stretch then they'll move on," Taylor explained.
Police believe the same group of people who broke into several vehicles at Percy Warner were at the Mount Juliet Little League Park just a few days later where several other vehicles were broken into.
"You get that violated, unsettling feeling that someone has all your information," burglary victim, Danna Bauer said. "They knew what they were doing."
Police said at least seven vehicles were hit within 40 minutes. Bauer's purse was stolen from her back floor board.
"It's a live and learn. A hundred people tell you you shouldn't do it, in my mind I know you shouldn't do it but nobody ever thinks its going to happen to them," she said.
To help keep from becoming a victim police encourage park goers to put all valuables in the trunk before you get there.
"A lot of times these groups will have someone set up in the park and they'll be watching to see who comes in and they'll be watching to see who takes their purse out and put it in the trunk, who puts a lap top in the trunk, they're looking for the easiest targets," Taylor said.
Proper caution could keep you from a world of headache.
"I mean I was on the phone for six hours straight trying to get things canceled and blocked," said Bauer.
If you believe you are a victim of identity theft contact the Federal Trade Commission and file the proper paperwork. You can find out moreby clicking here.
