CINCINNATI -- The person who smashed Liz Kitchell's driver's-side window scrounged about $10 in change and a handful of crystals from the inside of her car, she said Wednesday evening. They caused hundreds of dollars in damage in the process, forcing her to walk her children to school on a chilly winter morning and contemplate what to do next.
"It's just the timing sucks," she said. "It's cold outside. You're saving for the holiday bills, and you got another one on top of it."
City data indicate thefts in Northside, where Kitchell lives, increased slightly in November 2018 compared to past years. Police had recorded 126 thefts at the same time in 2016, 127 in 2017 and 148 in 2018 by Wednesday evening.
Vehicles have proven to be popular targets. A security camera recently captured a thief stealing a basket of clothes from a car on Kirby Avenue and later returning for more.
"It's just devastating because this is a nice community," neighbor Dominique Weathington said. "It's really scary, too, at the same time, because you don't know if they might try to do it to your home or anything."
Discovering her driver's seat and floor covered in glass was more of an inconvenience than a crushing blow for Kitchell, who said she can afford to take care of it.
However, police said they still want to know the culprit or culprits behind the recent spate of break-ins. Anyone with information should call them at 513-569-8500.
