The moral of the story is to make sure not to leave anything of value in plain sight in a parked vehicle. The windows in five vehicles were broken out over the weekend in Fayetteville, allowing thieves to help themselves to the contents.

Three of the incidents occurred nearly back-to-back during the afternoon of May 16 in the vicinity of Gym South on North 85 Parkway.

In the first of three May 16 incidents, Fayetteville Police spokesperson Steve Crawshaw said a woman had parked across from Gym South and had entered the building for her children’s athletic competition. Returning to her vehicle at approximately 2 p.m. she found the rear passenger window broken. The bag left on the floor in the back seat had been rifled but nothing was stolen, Crawshaw said.

The results of the second theft came at approximately 3:30 p.m. when a woman who had arrived at the gym more than two hours earlier went to her van to find a window in a passenger door shattered and her purse missing from middle seat, said Crawshaw.

Minutes later, at 3:45 p.m., another woman left the gym to find a broken rear window in her nearby car and a bag containing her prescription glasses stolen, Crawshaw said. The woman had arrived at the gym at approximately 2 p.m.

The first of the May 15 incidents occurred on Marquis Drive. The owner of the vehicle, who is also an employee of the business, exited the store and put her purse on the floor of the passenger’s side, said Crawshaw. The woman returned to the store then came back to the car approximately 10 minutes later to find the driver’s side window broken out and the purse stolen, he said.

Also on May 15, a woman whose children attend Fayetteville Intermediate School arrived at the location on Hood Avenue sometime after 5 p.m., Crawshaw said. The woman told officers she parked behind the school and went inside. Upon returning approximately five minutes later, she found the driver’s side window broken and her purse missing, Crawshaw said. The purse had been placed in plain view, according to police reports.

Crawshaw cautioned motorists to always lock their vehicles and never leave valuables inside the passenger cabin of their vehicle, whether on the floor or in a seat. If carried in a vehicle, items of value should be locked a the trunk, he said. Motorists should be especially cognizant about protecting their valuables while attending sporting or other events that draw large crowds, said Crawshaw.