Car Break-ins Happen During Daycare Drop off in Bentonville
By: Cassidy Hodges
Updated: May 23, 2012
In just fifteen minutes, two were cars broken into at two different day cares across Bentonville.
"[They] busted out the passenger glass and stole a purse with lots of valuable information in it and were gone in a matter of seconds," says Dina Harrell, the owner of the Wild About Learning Center.
Bentonville police say it's a crime of opportunity.
"It appears that they're hanging out near day cares because they usually know that when a mom or dad drops off their kid at day care, they leave the car running," says Detective Mark Jordan, with the Bentonville Police Department.
And Dina Harrell, owner of Wild About Learning Center, says it's an odd place to hit.
"I was pretty shocked at how bold they are to do this at an area where people are coming and going all day long," says Harrell.
In the morning, parents waste no time getting their kids inside and heading off for work.
"She brought her daughter into the center and it wasn't but five minutes. She was in the center and it happened," says Jim Gliwa, owner of Children's Hour daycare.
"It was a matter of 3 minutes for that person to get in our parking lot and get out," says Harrell.
But luckily, police have the surveillance video, and they're looking for the driver of the white car that was caught on tape.
"To have somebody come in and do this to you in your own center, you feel as though somebody has just come in a stolen something personal from you. It hurts, it hurts a lot," says Gliwa.
Investigators say this isn't the first time these crimes have happened.
"A few months ago we had it happen 3 or 4 times in Bentonville within 30 minutes," says Jordan. "It happened in Rogers and Springdale, so when I heard it this morning that it happened again, I said, 'Oh, maybe they're back."
So these day care owners just hope police will put an end to this kind of crime across Northwest Arkansas.
"We just hope this person is caught," says Harrell.
"These guys are good, they're professionals and hopefully they get caught," says Gliwa.
"[They] busted out the passenger glass and stole a purse with lots of valuable information in it and were gone in a matter of seconds," says Dina Harrell, the owner of the Wild About Learning Center.
Bentonville police say it's a crime of opportunity.
"It appears that they're hanging out near day cares because they usually know that when a mom or dad drops off their kid at day care, they leave the car running," says Detective Mark Jordan, with the Bentonville Police Department.
And Dina Harrell, owner of Wild About Learning Center, says it's an odd place to hit.
"I was pretty shocked at how bold they are to do this at an area where people are coming and going all day long," says Harrell.
In the morning, parents waste no time getting their kids inside and heading off for work.
"She brought her daughter into the center and it wasn't but five minutes. She was in the center and it happened," says Jim Gliwa, owner of Children's Hour daycare.
"It was a matter of 3 minutes for that person to get in our parking lot and get out," says Harrell.
But luckily, police have the surveillance video, and they're looking for the driver of the white car that was caught on tape.
"To have somebody come in and do this to you in your own center, you feel as though somebody has just come in a stolen something personal from you. It hurts, it hurts a lot," says Gliwa.
Investigators say this isn't the first time these crimes have happened.
"A few months ago we had it happen 3 or 4 times in Bentonville within 30 minutes," says Jordan. "It happened in Rogers and Springdale, so when I heard it this morning that it happened again, I said, 'Oh, maybe they're back."
So these day care owners just hope police will put an end to this kind of crime across Northwest Arkansas.
"We just hope this person is caught," says Harrell.
"These guys are good, they're professionals and hopefully they get caught," says Gliwa.
