P.E.I. RCMP investigate thefts from cars

A rash of thefts in theCavendish, P.E.I., area is being investigated byRCMP.

• RCMP issue warning after theft from Stratford home

The latest victims, an Ontario family, lost more than $1,000 cash and thousands more in camera equipment as well as hundreds of personal and professional photos.

I would never think that this could happen here, and I guess that's why I was being a little lax in leaving my stuff in the front seat. EstelleVanderHeide

"I saw it from 100 feet away and just lost it. I started crying, because I knew my purse, my camera bag, my whole livelihood was in that front seat," said Estelle VanderHeide, describing the smashed-in window of the family's van.

The VanderHeides, from St. Catharines, Ont., had been enjoying their Island vacation including a visit to Cavendish beach Monday afternoon, where they'd parked their van in the public parking lot and locked it. When they returned a few hours later, still daylight, their van had been broken into.

The thieves took 10 memory cards full of personal photos from their two-week road trip through Eastern Canada as well as client's photos, professional photographer Estelle VanderHeide had shot along the way. She had not saved themanywhere else.

'Really awful'

"It made mefeel really awful. Cash and gear is one thing, but to lose people's family photos, it feels like a punch in the stomach," said VanderHeide.

There have been nearly a dozen complaints of thefts from vehicles in the Cavendish area since the beginning of June, RCMP said, and so far, no arrests.

"This is a problem we encounter every year," said RCMP Sgt. Leanne Butler. "Quite often in the parking lots tourists tend to leave things in their car in plain view and fall victim to these types of thefts."

P.E.I. may be known as the gentle Island, but RCMP say people still need to be careful withtheir property.

'Could happen anywhere'

"Sometimes just leaving them in plain view is a temptation to the wrong type of people," explained Butler.

"I would never think that this could happen here, and I guess that's why I was being a little lax in leaving my stuff in the front seat," said VanderHeide. "But I guess it could happen anywhere."

The VanderHeides are still holding out hope that whoever broke into their van will at the very least ditch the camera memory cards and someone will find them and be able to return the photos.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS I#MobileMuslims campaign rolls into P.E.I.
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS INew Charlottetown roundabout, intersection planned