Rash of car break-ins near St. Louis hotspot

KSDK--St. Louis police are investigating another rash of vehicle break-ins.

Around 1:30 a.m. Sunday police say 14 vehicles were broken into in the 2300 block of Clark Street. The victims were patrons of Harry's Restaurant and Bar. St. Louis police say a drivers license, iPods, sunglasses, and a GPS device were among the items stolen from vehicles.

Witnesses say they saw six male suspects run to a red Chrysler Sebring and take off. Blocks away, Janis Manglesdorf, the owner of another popular bar, Humphrey's, says she's disappointed but not surprised.

"No matter how well you educate the public, as long as everybody keeps leaving purses, computers, iPods, GPS systems visible in their cars its gonna be a source for a break-in," said Manglesdorf.

Located right across from St. Louis University's main campus, Humphrey's has had vehicles broken into in its lot three times this month.

"The break in on our lot, when they hit six cars, it happened within four minutes, " Manglesdorf said. "I mean you know and as much police presence as there can be there's no way they can be everywhere."

Each time Humprhey's security video has shown the suspects to be fast-acting juveniles piling into stolen cars with temporary Illinois license plates.

A number of recent vehicle break ins has prompted St. Louis police and St. Louis University to step up patrols in the city's midtown and downtown west districts.